maggiemayfield

COMM 303 – Unplugged

Posted on December 2, 2013 Updated on December 3, 2013

Hi my name is Maggie and I’m addicted to all types of communication technologies.

It’s pretty bad.

As an experiment, my classmates and I were challenged by our professor to “unplug” ourselves from all types of communication technologies for half a day. This included cell phones, computers, internet, iPods, the works. As sad as it sounds, my phone is my lifeline to the outside world and is an extension of my hand. I use the internet for everything and am constantly on Twitter. Simply giving up something that has been accustomed to your everyday life out of habit is not easy.

Over the summer I went on vacation and had an experience very similar to this except it lasted for a week. My boyfriend and I took a 6 day Caribbean cruise and in order to avoid sky high cell phone fees, we both needed to remain phone-less for the week. The first day was torture, I wanted to upload pictures to Twitter and text my friends and family to talk about our trip. I hated that no one could contact me and vice versa. However, the longer time went on, I found that I started to enjoy not having a phone. It allowed me to enjoy myself and not focus on what everyone else was doing. When I decided to try this exercise again over the past weekend, the initial withdraw shock happened again. I left my phone at home when I went out shopping. It was a little easier because I was busy, but I still wanted to text and get on social media sites. I think this experience wash’t as effective as my cruise because the first time allowed for an extended period of time to get accustomed to life without internet.

All of this really made me think; do we really need our cell phones and computers all the time? Telephones were first created to just have conversations with people, and now they have evolved into a lifestyle. Many people depend on cell phones and the internet for work. But in daily life? Cell phones are now an often companion at restaurants and movies, resulting in lost one-on-one time with your loved ones. I saw a video floating around on Facebook a few months back that really hit home with me. It illustrates how humans rely on cell phones and often miss important things because they are too tied up with the internet and texting, myself included.

Although communication technologies are amazing and have created easier communication methods all around the world, I think it is important for everyone to do a brief “cleanse” once in a while. Everyone deserves some personal “me” time without the internet, so unplug!

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Communication technologies, Facebook, Mobile phone, Telephone, Twitter.

COMM 460 – HootSuite University Completion

Posted on November 22, 2013

Hello and happy Friday!

I’m pleased to announce that I have some pretty exciting news for all you social media gurus, I’m HootSuite certified! It feels so good to be able to say that and thankful it is the end of an era.

I am so excited to be finally finished with this program and even more excited to be able to put the official certification widget on my LinkedIn and resume. HootSuite is becoming a common tool in the social media world, and I feel very grateful that I had the opportunity to try it out as an undergrad student.

My most favorite topic from my HootSuite experience included “The Do’s and Dont’s of Social Media Etiquette.” I can not emphasize enough the importance of knowing basic social media etiquette. I’m not sure if some people are oblivious to what they post on the internet, but many are doing it so wrong. This section of the program should be required for completion for everyone before they can set any social media account! “The Do’s and Dont’s of Social Media Etiquette” included various etiquette guidelines for keeping things on the internet professional and polite. It is so important to always keep a professional head on your shoulders and keep in mind whether you are on the the internet for work or personal time, you are always representing a brand: your client or yourself. From this section I learned the proper way to respond to Tweets professionally and also appropriate Tweets and Facebook statuses.These may seem like little things but if used incorrectly, it can help your companies reputation take a big hit. Your social media accounts are not a diary. It may be fun to post about how drunk you are getting with your friends or how much you love your boyfriend, but this information is not cute nor does it belong on the internet. Keep it classy!

My least favorite part of the program experience was completing the lengthy and dull videos which were required to complete the exams. I found many of them to be uninteresting and think HootSuite could definitely tune it up a little bit.

Overall I enjoyed my HootSuite experience and am grateful for the opportunity to test it out. I hope that the knowledge I acquired ail help me someday in the workforce.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Business, Etiquette, Facebook, Hootsuite, LinkedIn, social media, Twitter.

COMM 460 – All Good Things Must Come to An End: Semester Reflection

Posted on November 21, 2013 Updated on November 22, 2013

Hello!

Happy Thursday! Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week? I certainly cannot, however I am more than excited to spend some time with my family on the holiday. My extended family is coming over to my parents for dinner and on Black Friday we are ditching the crowded malls and spending the day at Churchill Downs instead. It should be a great time and I’m pretty excited! Not to be cliche, but the holiday season is my most favorite time of year.

With the holiday season comes the time in the semester when school starts winding down and crunch time begins. This semester has been a very sentimental one because it is my last fall semester as an undergrad at the University of Louisville. This is a very exciting yet nerve-wracking time for me because I know my time here is ending quickly, and graduation in the spring is rapidly approaching.

I feel like this semester has been one of my busiest ones yet, and that partly has to do with this social media class (in a good way). I don’t think even in any of my English classes I’ve written as much as I have for this class. Blogging has been a very positive experience for me. It has forced me to put my opinion on topics out in the open and also to research and write about new people and things I’ve never learned about before. As with anything, practice makes perfect and writing is no exception. I would like to think that I have become a stronger writer as a result of this course.

I have loved the various guest speakers who came and gave up their time to come and discuss their careers with us. It was really cool to see how other people have broken into the industry and this opportunity also allowed for networking possibilities as well.

This course also allowed me to become HootSuite certified and explore different apps and programs which I think will make me a more appealing potential employee. I truly have enjoyed this class and will miss it. I am very grateful to the University of Louisville and Dr. Freberg for taking a chance and offering a social media course. It is nice to know that my school believes in taking a proactive approach and redesigning its courses to fit the needs of it’s students and advancing technology.

Thank you for reading!

-Maggie

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Hootsuite, social media, University of Louisville.

COMM 303 – Thoughts on Blogging

Posted on November 19, 2013 Updated on November 22, 2013

Until this year, I have never been a blogger. This semester I have been taking a social media class which required me to keep a blog and post twice a week, along with this class which requires blogging as well. Ever since August, I feel like all I do is blog. Previously to blogging, I have been a “creeper” and have followed at least 3 different blogs for over two years. I thoroughly enjoy reading about what other people are doing with their lives. The blogs that I currently follow are mostly people living in New York City and I absolutely adore learning about their daily experiences in the greatest city in the world.

While reading these blogs over time, it had occurred more than once that I considered creating a blog of my own. I refrained from doing so, however, because I was absolutely clueless what I would write about. When I began taking these communication classes I realized with the help of having topic guideline to write about, I’ve come to realize that blogging isn’t as bad as it seems. The hardest part for me has been dealing with writers block while blogging. Sometimes the words just flow, and other times I need to take a break and step away from the computer for a bit.

For me, blogging has been an interesting way for me to step out of my comfort zone and post my views on things. There are so many things you can write about! I can’t make any promises, but hope to keep up with my WordPress account after this semester.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized.

COMM 460 – Crisis Communication

Posted on November 16, 2013

In a perfect world, corporate companies would not have any problems and all businesses would run as smoothly as possible. Unfortunately, accidents and crises happen everyday and for some major companies, these situations occur in the public eye. On the bright side, many companies now employ public relations professionals who specialize in crisis communication to help smooth over the damage. Crisis communication are the actions taken by a PR professional immediately after a major public disaster occurs for a company or person in an effort to save the reputation of their client. After the disaster occurs, the PR specialist gets as many facts as possible and sends out a press release to the general public. This press release usually consists of a description of the crisis, a formal apology, and then concluded with strategies the company plans to follow to fix the situation.

When I think of a major crisis communication disaster, I think of the BP oil spill back in 2010. This was a major public crisis, and despite the outcome of the situation, I think the BP PR team did a good job considering the magnitude of this disaster.

To be a successful crisis communication professional, there are a few steps one should take to make sure they are doing their job effectively for their client.

Always be aware of what your company is doing
Always tell genuine facts to the public, i.e. never lie
Always put out documents and info to the public in a timely fashion
Keep in mind that people are human and be sensitive to their concerns

Always being present in what your company is doing (good or bad), is vital for keeping a companies reputation up to par. It is important to be in the know of your clients issues and fix them as promptly as possible!

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Business, Crisis communication, Crisis management, Disaster, public relations.

COMM 460 – Vincenzo’s

Posted on November 15, 2013 Updated on November 18, 2013

Hello there!

Today I thought I would write about a place where I spend 18 hours a week…my job! I am currently employed as a hostess at Vincenzo’s Italian Restaurant in downtown Louisville. Although I have only been working at Vincenzo’s since September, it feels like I’ve been there forever! The kitchen staff, chefs, servers, and owners have been so welcoming and they really take this family restaurant aspect to heart.

Owned by Vincenzo Gabriele and his brother, head Chef Agostino Gabriele, Vincenzo’s is very different from any fine dining restaurant in Louisville. Usually you will be greeted by Vincenzo himself, and then taken to you table by the hostess. Shortly after, you will be greeted with fresh bread and butter served by your Captain’s server assistant. The Captain is your head server, and he or she will be in charge of making sure you have a wonderful experience during your stay. What sets Vincenzo’s apart from any other fine dining Italian restaurant in Louisville is that most of your meal is prepared table-side. The Captains and server assistants are very skilled with the knowledge of how to prepare salad dressings to flambéd desserts right at your table with the help of portable grills which are moved throughout the restaurant.

Conveniently open Monday-Saturday 5P.M. to 10 P.M., no problem if you are not in the mood for a full course meal. Vincenzo’s also has a full bar where you can eat dinner or just stop for drinks and appetizers after work. If you decide to to stop in on a Friday or Saturday evening, there is live piano and bass music for your enjoyment.

Vincenzo’s has gained a wonderful reputation for itself and I am proud to work somewhere that is spoken so highly of in Louisville. Vincenzo himself is typically at the restaurant every night and greets every guest that comes in. If you are ever in the mood for a fine Italian meal, get glammed up and come on down to see us at 150 South Fifth Street!

Vincenzo’s website: http://www.vincenzositalianrestaurant.com/pages/home.php

Photo source: http://media1.hellolouisville.com/media/articles/images/6398_image1.jpg

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Italian cuisine, Restaurant.

COMM 303- Thoughts on Internet Privacy

Posted on November 12, 2013

On a daily basis I need accounts, usernames, and passwords for pretty much everything I do on the internet. My school account at UofL requires a username and password, so does my bank, e-mail, and social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter). While it may be a pain to keep up with so many different passwords for different accounts, I think it is very important that the internet is as secure as it is today. In the day of account hacking and identity theft, it is now important than ever to make sure the amount of personal information you have about yourself on the internet is kept to a bare minimum.

All of my social media accounts are on private despite Twitter because I need to keep it unlocked for a class. Growing up, my parents were very strict about what we were allowed to put on the internet about ourselves. I would like to think that I have kept that mindset and still apply those rules to my life. For example if I am going out of town, I never post on Facebook or Twitter that no one is at my apartment. Additionally, I usually have someone come and check on my place while I am gone as well. There are so many robberies that have resulted from people posting Facebook statuses about being out of town. By refraining from posting this information, you can prevent many bad things from happening.

One aspect in our society that I have an issue with is with companies such as Kroger and Target keeping track of what you purchase with your store card. The gimmick of using a store discount card such as a Kroger card is that while you may be receiving “discounts”, Kroger is tracking your purchases and selling your private information to companies. This practice may not be as extreme as identity theft, but I think that society is becoming a little too naiive about what information is available about them on the internet. Some people willingly post private details about their lives on the internet, enough that you can get a sense of who they are without even knowing them. I think that many people are the source of their own problem and need to take a step back and take the time to begin making changes about what information they post before it’s too late.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Facebook, Identity theft, Privacy, social media, Twitter.

COMM 460 – Guest Speaker Lizelle Lauron

Posted on November 8, 2013

Three cheers for Friday!!! Woo hoo!

Today in social media we were blessed with another opportunity to have a guest speaker talk with us about their profession. Today’s speaker, Lizelle Lauron, was super exciting because not only does she have an awesome job, but she is a recent graduate of the University of Louisville and a #Freberg13 alum as well! It is always motivating to hear a recent graduates experiences in the work force, and that it is possible to be successful right after graduation. Lizelle currently works for the Dallas Mavericks as a social media coordinator. Thanks to technology, she was able to talk with us via Skype!

A native of Dallas, Texas, Lizelle recently graduated in the Spring with a B.S. degree in Communications and a minor in Sports Administration. While in her last semester of college, Lizelle worked as an intern for the University of Louisville Athletics department under the guidance of one of our previous guest speakers, Nick Stover! Once her UofL internship was completed, she moved back home to Dallas and began working part-time as an intern for the Dallas Mavericks professional basketball team in August. After a few short months of interning, Lizelles’ team decided they needed her full time and she was hired as a social media coordinator November 1st! Hard work really does pay off.

Lizelle gave us an inside look at what exactly she does every day at work as the social media coordinator for a big time pro basketball team. She is in charge of monitoring all Maverick social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, Google+, Instagram, and Vine. In addition to running these accounts, Lizelle also runs the fan give-aways via social media, and also attends practices and marketing promo to take pictures and keep fans updated in real time. She also described the various tools she uses on a daily basis to help manage these accounts, many of which we have used in #Freberg13! Lizelle relies on TweetDeck, and Offerpop to organize these accounts.

Lizelle also had some advice for us who are about to graduate and are currently looking for jobs and internships.

1) Always put yourself out there. Never be afraid to give something a shot, even if you fail.

2) Be organized.

3) Make yourself available and set yourself apart from the crowd.

4) Never stop learning!! Always pick up new skills and challenge yourself to be better.

5) Have a great personality and be personable! A positive attitude will get you far.

I really enjoyed Lizelles’ presentation and her bubbly personality is infectious. It’s people like her who make me excited about my future profession, especially when they seem to really love their job. She was extremely relatable to us and the fact that she has gone so far in such a short amount of time is definitely something I aspire to be.

Thanks for reading and have an awesome weekend, go Cards!

Lizelles’ Twitter handle: @letstelllizelle

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Dallas Mavericks, Instagram, social media, Twitter, University of Louisville.

23 Priceless Habits That Will Make You Your Greatest Self

Posted on November 8, 2013

Stumbled upon this…good rules to live by.
Enjoy!
-Maggie

This entry was posted in Uncategorized.