A Change in Focus

This blog is a project of the Computer Mediated Communication class at the University at Albany. In previous courses, I have had students identify new technology or software and evaluate it for computer mediated communication.

 Much has happened in the last three years since I have taught this class.

 1) The computer mediated communication class is no longer the only course about online communication. With new faculty and new research projects, we now have 3 other courses this semester alone on various aspects of computer mediated communication. This means my course becomes more of a foundation or gateway course into CMC that can be used with other courses.

 2) At the time I was teaching this course 3 years ago, CMC researchers and developers were using Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and with the increased use of smart phones, Web 3.0. These terms are no longer as common as we now use terms like mobile communication, computational web, visual CMC or rhetoric, social media, and analytics when discussing the different types of communication using the internet and communication technology.

 3) There are many different categories of communication "technology" including communication devises (smart phones, tablets, wearable technology, streaming devises), software (apps, interactive web pages, multimedia integration online), and modes of communication (digital video, text, video conferencing, photos/visuals). This complexity has led to a need to understand CMC as a much richer and deeper environment in which there are many more factors (privacy, social, language, visuals, behavioral, technological) and nuances than predicted 3 years ago.

 4) Finally, the breadth of CMC and the rate of change means we need to concentrate on communication affordances, integration, and strategies that can be used across platforms, technologies, cultures, and environments. This requires more complex communication models and the ability to analyze the changing landscape of CMC to make it relevant (and not outdated the next day). At the same time, some of the predictions made 3 years ago about social media, the use of mobile devices, and the future of communication did not come to fruition. So there are some structural constants that are beginning to emerge as CMC matures.

 Changes needed in this blog 

 This blog is a perfect example of changes in CMC. When my students were studying CMC 3 years ago, blogs were undergoing a transformation. The were moving from an interactive software with ongoing deeper discussions to a source of information that others could comment on. Blogs have moved away from interaction to a platform where deeply developed ideas can be presented. These ideas then will be moved to other platforms, such as facebook or twitter, for discussion.

 My purpose 3 years ago were 2 fold: 1) have students interact with each other by commenting on others posts and 2) let students have a greater idea of who their audience was that they were writing for. Unfortunately, the interactive aspects of blogging were already changing.

 So with this class, I will have my students interact with their audience on twitter and facebook. I will also use the blog for my students to practice analyzing and observing online and computer mediated communication. They will also practice writing professional analysis for the internet and at the same time help researchers and professionals understand CMC best practices. Students will also have the opportunity to evaluate new software, apps, and devises, making recommendations for you, the audience.

YouSendIt.Com- A New Way To Send Attachments- A Computer Mediated Communication Tool

YouSendIt.Com- A New Way To Send Attachments- A Computer Mediated Communication Tool

The past summer, I interned with PepsiCo in Purchase, NY. There were various tools that were used to ensure easy communication throughout the office and the myriad of other locations where PepsiCo employees operate, both nationally and internationally. One of the computer mediated communication tools that was frequently in use in our office, was our YouSendIt.com account. Have you ever had a file to send that was too large to successfully send over your regular email account? Did you ever have to disfigure your projects or presentations and send them in smaller parts in order to successfully send the materials to your desired recipient? If so, then this is a computer mediated communication tool that would be extremely useful for you.

What It Is?

YouSendIt.com is a Web-based digital file delivering company. One of this tool’s many assets is that it lets users securely send and receive large files and, also, track pending files on demand. According to Crunchbase.com “YouSendIt, Inc is the first cloud collaboration service to offer an integrated approach for sending, sharing and signing documents online.” YouSendIt highlights its assets using three categories on it’s ‘features’ page. It claims:

- Send Files: easily send and receive content with the comfort of email without the hassle of inbox limits. Simply send it- its ‘email easy’ from the web, desktop or mobile device. Big files no problem- send your big ideas without email limits on file size. Upgrade to business class- online tracking, access control and security features included

- Share Folders: Wherever you go, there they are… cloud based folders for you and your team, at work and on the go. Simply save it- straight to your cloud folders, as you work, with unlimited storage. Work where you need to- sync your files and folders for access offline and on mobile devices. Share the goodness- easily invite colleagues and customers to share and collaborate

- Sign Documents- get business done online. Sign documents online with your keyboard, mouse or mobile touch screen. Simply sign it- sign right from your Smartphone, tablet, web or desktop. Forget the fax- sign the deals wherever you are, without the print and fax-it slowdown. Fill it out- preview documents and fill out forms with typed text inserts.

This file-sharing tool is an alternate to sending attachments using FTP (File Transfer Protocol) or sending CDs, DVDs or USBs via ‘Sneakernets’. A sneakernet is an ‘informational term describing the transfer of electronic information, especially computer files, by physically couriering removable media such as magnetic tape, floppy disks, compact discs, USB flash drives, or external hard drives from one computer to another.’ This company ‘operates on a freemium basis, with basic features being offered for free and more advanced features for a fee.’ Freemium is defined according to Wikipedia, as “a business model that works by offering a product or service free of charge (typically digital offerings such as software, content, games, web services or other) while charging a premium for advanced combining the two aspects of the business model: ‘free’ and ‘premium’.” For example, sending a 50MB file is free, however with a paid account, the user can send files up to 2 GB.

Web 3.0

YouSendIt.com has reached the Web 3.0 level, building upon the advancements of Web 1.0 and 2.0, YouSendIt.com can now be accessed on mobile devices, allowing for users to access the content on the web while they are on the go. According to Crunchbase.com “with over 20 million registered users in 193 countries, YouSendIt helps enterprises and business professionals streamline collaboration by enabling them to instantly sync and access content in the cloud and easily send files, share folders and sign documents from anywhere- the desktop, Web or mobile devises. YouSendIt offers a suite of productivity tools that integrate seamlessly into common desktop and mobile environments.”

History

YouSendIt.com was “founded on July 7, 2003 by Amir Shaikh, Khalid Shaikh and Ranjith Kumaran with the goal of finding a way to send files from one entity to another. In the beginning stages, YouSendIt was using HTTP-Tunnel Corp resources, including equipment, data center and R&D to build the company.” Their funding and user following has grown massively since this website’s launch. “YouSendIt received their first round of funding due to giving presentations at TieCon 2004 in May. At this point, YouSendIt had about 300,000 transfers per day. Most individuals were sharing files through YouSendIt and it created a viral growth.”

YouSendIt has enormous funding growth as well. According to Wikipedia, this website’s funding grew massively from it’s foundation in 2004:

§ YouSendIt sold equity for $250k (Cambrian Ventures) - August 1, 2004

§ YouSendit sold equity for $5 million (Alloy Ventures, Sevin Rosen, Stanford Venture Fund, Cambrian Ventures) - SEC filing October 7, 2005

§ YouSendit sold equity for $4.7 million - SEC filing October 25, 2006

§ YouSendit sold equity for $10 million - SEC filing April 23, 2007

§ YouSendit sold equity for $14 million - SEC filing July 15, 2008

§ YouSendIt Inc. secures $15 million in Series D Financing - August 3, 2010

How It Works?

When sending the desired files, the sender can enter the recipient’s e-mail addresses, attach the file and send it. It is extremely simple and easy to navigate. When the recipient receives the e-mail, there is a URL inside, once they click on the URL it lets them download the file. “Although YouSendIt” links are frequently posted to blogs, forums and other websites, the company has recently marketed itself as a method of business communication.” This file-sharing tool offers, four kinds of plans for varying users:

- 1. Lite: free service for sending files to friends and family; supported by advertising that appears on the upload and download pages

- 2. Pro: paid service for important documents, with basic file delivery tracking

- 3. Business Plus: paid service for businesses, with advanced file delivery tracking; provides branding and password protection

- 4. Corporate Suite: paid service, allows addition of multiple users, administrative controls, reporting, payment-by-invoice, etc.

“YouSendIt also offers application plug-ins (Software plus services) for Microsoft Outlook, Adobe Photosho[, CoreIDRAW, Apple Aperture, WinZip, PaperPort, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Office, iPhoto, Final Cut Pro, YouSendIt Express and other programs. To deal with files larger than 2GB (a browser limitation) it offers a desktop client that lets the users send files up to 10GB in size.”

Recently In The News

On May 26, 2011 Fast Company showcased YouSendIt.com in an article entitled ‘YouSendIt Hits 30 million Users, Bests Dropbox.’ This article contends that “the Campbell, California-based company surpassed 30 million unique users in the past 12 months… the goosed growth comes on the heels of YouSendIt’s partnership with Yahoo Mail, which helped add a million users in roughly two months.” The article continues to boast about this file-sharing tool, “with 60% revenue growth in 2010, however, it appears YouSendIt is defining its market position well in the wild, wild, west of the cloud industry. Still, while YouSendIt has chosen to highlight total unique users, the real proof of a company’s success is its registered and premium usership. Currently, YouSendIt has 400,000 paid subscribers and 18 million registered users.”

Finally, I believe that YouSendIt.com is a great way to simplify communication between co-workers, friends and family. This company has advanced and evolved greatly since it was established in 2004. I believe that there are various benefits to using this website and if you find yourself sending large documents frequently than this website could definitely help you to send your attachments in one piece.

TweetCaster

Tweet Caster in the world’s number 1 Twitter application. It tops competitors with
over a million downloads. It has all the bare necessities that a typical twitter app would have, including tweeting (of course), reading your timeline, clicking links, viewing profiles etc. One of
the reasons it has become so popular is not what makes it the same as the competitor
apps, but what helps it stand apart…far apart apparently. Tweet caster has Zip
it functionality, Instappaper Support, Multiple Widgets, Multi-Account Support,
Twitter Lists, Offline Tweet Caching, Tweet filtering, color code tweets, facebook integration and much more.

There are so many things you can do with this app. You can
hide unwanted tweets without having to unfollow people using Zip It. You can be
creative and get personal. With color coding, tweet caster allows you to choose
a custom color for your own tweets and replies. You can even use the Nearby
search feature which allows you to search for tweets near your current
location. With that, you can check out who tweeted about local restaurants,
amusement parks, movies etc. This can be extremely convenient when looking for
a good restaurant to eat at. You can search tweets that have people’s opinions
about that restaurant. This can help save time and money because in essence you’ll
know what you’re getting yourself into before you spend your money.
A lot like the original twitter, this technology is great
for computer mediated communication. It allows for multiple people to
communicate at a time. With all of TweetCasters savy features, it allows the
user to communicate outside the box. This app is user friendly, which means
that the communicator wouldn’t need much guidance to communicate effectively.
Its as simple as the push of a button (or two). This is definitely a form of
multiple communication and interaction. With TweetCaster’s “Follower Management”
you can follow, unfollow, block and even report as spam, all from your mobile
phone. This allows for INTENSE interaction, or no interaction at all. And like most social networking communication
apps/software, there are little to no time constraints. TweetCaster was voted
one of the fastest apps on the android network. There is little freezing and “force
stops” on this application, another reason why its great for computer mediated
communication. This ceases the amount of
resistance or potential problems that may impede communication. A lot like a
dropped call on a Cell phone, you would no longer have to worry about “noise”
or interruptions from technology failure. There would be no freezing, interruptions,
force stops or “wait” options. As people all over the world continue to
download this app, the team at TweetCaster continues to improve its
functionality and preserver with its unique and near flawless design.

Brainshark: Why it is beneficial for your business

Brainshark is a website that allows the user to upload presentation slides to the internet.  Presentations can be viewed on smartphones and tablets as well, basically wherever a consumer can get internet, and as many times as they would like.  There are different levels that the user can signup for with Brainshark.  The most basic level is free and not private, and as the levels increase towards the enterprise level, security tightens and the price increases.

The Brainshark homepage is extremely clean and simple to navagate.  As a potential customer, you are not bombarded by unnecessary information.  There is an ‘Introduction to Brainshark’ video, and two bolded links to ‘SEE A DEMO’ or ‘TRY IT FOR FREE’. 

The homepage also has icon links that bring you to Brainshark’s LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  These links allow you to research the company more, and give you a way to easily contact them.

What affordances does a Brainshark Presentation have for your business?

The enterprise feature would be ideal for bosses or team leaders to communicate presentations to their employees and group members.  Most business people today are able to create a ‘Powerpoint Presentation’ on their computers, which is the basis of making a Brainshark presentation.  

After uploading the presentation to Brainshark, you can add categories and tags to your presentation so that it is easily searchable and identifiable.  Presentations created on Brainshark can be put into categories and tags, which allow for people to filter through other presentations and find ones relevant to what they are searching for.

The next step, which is optional, is adding audio (as a voice over) to your presentation.  This can be done by using either your computers microphone, or by using a phone and calling a specific Brainshark number and entering your presentations code.

If you decide you need to edit your presentation after that point, the website makes it easy to navigate what exactly you need to change.  You can add more slides (including a video slide).  You can also add notes to each slide, which only you as the presenter can see.

Brainshark also allows you to add a poll or survey question slide to your presentation.  This gives your audience a change to offer feedback to a specific topic of the presentation, or the presentation as a whole.

Of course, you will need to share your presentation with others.  Brainshark offers an easy way to share your presentation through email as well as social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and more.  Or, you can embed the link to your company website or blog.

Employees, or whoever your presentation’s consumer is, can view the presentation wherever they have access to Internet.  This allows them to view the presentation on their own time and as many times as needed.  This is beneficial to the employees and the business because there wouldn’t need to be a scheduled time for bosses and employees to meet, and the employees will not be away from any potential clients.

All presentations have feedback in the form of a 5-star rating system, and ‘Comments and Reviews’ box.  Under the enterprise feature, you can retrieve detailed viewing reports (easily accessible when you log in and view a specific presentation) and a guestbook for your presentation. 

All information for this post was taken from (http://www.brainshark.com/) by watching demonstrations and creating a presentation to personally understand the process.

Categorizing and identifying CMC tools

Computer Mediated Communication does not exist in a vacuum. CMC consists of both the tools of communication (apps, software, equipment) and the process of communication (sending and receiving of messages). It is important, therefore, to try to distinguish how different tools affect communication. A starting point for this blog should be how to make distinctions and analyze a specific tool's affordances.

One framework that can be used is to distinguish between Web 1.0, 2.0, and 3.0.. While the web 1.0 (emails, webpages, static content) and web 2.0 (blogs, social networking sites) definitions are fairly consistent, the definition for web 3.0 is still in the evolution phase. For some, web 3.0 is the semantic web in which the control of content is based on the computer program which gathers information from the user and customizes it. For others, web 3.0 is the portability of information that can be found, collected, and recreated it multiple sites. One thing that all agree upon is that the web 3.0 is dynamic and restructures data to customize its use by the end user.

Another way to assess the affordance of CMC is to use the categories created by Herring (2007). This consists of two different sets of factors: medium and situation. The medium factors describe the possibilities of a tool (app, software, equipment) whereas the situation describes how a tool might be applied.

A good example of this is facebook. Facebook was originally created as a secure spot in which college students could interact with each other to create a social space. However, others found this secure place to be useful in other ways. Schools/teachers used it as a learning space in which students could keep up with work, share ideas outside of class, and link to resources. Teenagers used facebook to keep in contact with friends outside of school, meet new people both within their school and out, and to keep up with tends and happenings. Businesses began to use facebook to interact with customers and provide customized information to be broadcasted through a network of targeted audiences. The tool itself, the medium, had standard attributes. However, how that tool was used was situated, resulting in different uses of the medium for different situations.

In the weeks to come, students will identify the medium and situate it in their own experience. They may also identify whether a tool falls into the Web 1.0, 2.0, or 3.0 categories.

References

Herring, S. (Classification) (2007) A Faceted Classification Scheme for Computer-Mediated Discourse. Language@Internet (4). Available at http://www.languageatinternet.de/articles/2007/761/index_html/

EPN (2008) Evolution Web 1.0, Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 (video clip on YouTube). Available at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsNcjya56v8

Nonprofitorgs (2010). Web 1.0, Web 2.0 and Web 3.0 Simplified for Nonprofits. Available at: http://nonprofitorgs.wordpress.com/2010/01/28/web-1-0-web-2-0-and-web-3-0-simplified-for-nonprofits/