16 December 2008

I’ve been meaning to post about Twitter for a while.

It is fundamentally flawed. Both the concept and the design. It is ridiculously hard to read or thread conversations, if you watch more than 50 people it is easy to miss something and the layout is simply atrocious.

Yet it continues to gain popularity. I thought newcomer Plurk (much less fundamentally flawed) would overthrow it, but even I turned back to Twitter eventually.

I think Twitter some how manages to be successful because it’s addictive. Once you’ve started it’s hard to give it up. Although most start by asking, “Isn’t it just like updating your Facebook status?”, it grows on you. Stan Lee signed up just two weeks ago and I think he’s now in need of a patch to control the cravings. His page used to display a badge that said he wasn’t on the Twitter bandwagon, but that’s changed just a little hasn’t it, Stan?

It’s hard to explain but I think Gavin Heaton summed it up best when he said, “You get out what you put in”.

Posted by Zac Martin

14 December 2008

MySpace essentially had only a lifespan of two or three years for most people. Facebook is now starting to reach a similar age. Does this mean we’ll soon see a new social network take over, or will Facebook do what MySpace couldn’t?

My opinion is the latter, at least for another few years. Facebook has hit a point where the vast majority of my networks are on it and using it. Not only to communicate, but to run events, upload photos and so some extent it’s even replaced emailing and instant messaging.

My investment in Facebook has been too great. With nearly 600 photos and a connection to most of my contacts, I’m not going anywhere soon. But how long will Facebook last? Could it do a Google?

Posted by Zac Martin

12 December 2008

Every so often on my commute home I pick up and flick through the very reliable source that is mX.

An interesting article suggested that some research has shown modern technology and Gen Y are driving changes in the English language. What I found interesting was that these changes were beyond the point of lols and 1337 speak.

Due mostly to the limited characters available when sending an SMS, 404, a reference to a website fault means clueless. And the predictive text for the word cool first produces book, which as a result has given it a second meaning.

Nenagh Kemp, psychologist from the University of Tasmania, suggested that this type of English was not dulling our language skills, but in fact part of the language’s natural evolution.

Interesting. Now please stop telling me that my generation is ruining everything. I’m off to fix the economy and deal with Global Warming… assholes.

Posted by Zac Martin

10 December 2008

I am a student from the School of Peter Wagstaff.

I started my business degree thinking I would head towards a career management. Yet in my first semester I took Marketing Theory and Practise, a unit headed up by Peter Wagstaff. Upon completing it, I had a new career path.

But his influence doesn’t stop there. It was by listening to his podcast, Marketing Today that I first discovered social media through Julian Cole. He also writes a blog, RenewEd, which focuses on the future of education and how teaching has and should be changing for Gen Y students.

He is undoubtedly the best lecturer I have had in my two year stint at Monash. He is also the most passionate. I have no doubt I would not be where I am today without him. Not only has Wags been an incredible mentor, it’s hasn’t been uncommon for myself to drop by his office regularly unannounced for a chat.

Along side other students from the School of Peter Wagstaff, Julian Cole, Josh Strawczynski, Rick Clarke and Simon Oboler, I would like to say thank you Wags.

Posted by Zac Martin

08 December 2008

My BFF, Simon Oboler, just had a rant about people who don’t respond to emails. And I must say, I’ve been a recent victim myself.

Recently I got in touch with someone at an agency. We had a chat about the possibility of working there and they said someone would be in touch by the end of the week. I received an email saying they’d call me in a few days.

I never got a call.

About a month later I followed up with an email as a polite reminder. Never got a response. We’re now about two or three months from the initial conversation I had about working with them.

This is not a rant about the fact I didn’t get a job. I really don’t mind. But I did expect someone to get back to me.

With the number of recent graduates making calls and sending emails lately, surely these people realise that not only are personal brands being tarnished here, but organisation and agency brands too? My opinion of the agency isn’t what it once was. And we all know what Gen Y’s do with brands they don’t like…

I know someone from the agency in question will be reading this. Feel free to pass it along. =]

Posted by Zac Martin

07 December 2008

I use Blogger. People tell me I should be on WordPress. Repeatedly. But I’m at a point now where a change would be far too inconvenient.

It got me thinking though, why does one choose a certain blogging platform over another? I think mine was simply because Julian Cole published on Blogger. He wrote the first blog I ever followed and therefore my natural choice was also Blogger.

Why do you blog with who you’re with?

Posted by Zac Martin

05 December 2008

I realised today I haven’t used my house phone in a while. The thick layer of dust is at least three months old.

If people want to contact me, they do it by mobile, email, social networks, MSN or most recently, Skype.

Not a good sign for telemarketers.

Posted by Zac Martin

01 December 2008

The latest episode of Jaffe Juice was one of the best I’ve heard in a while. Definitely worth checking out. Joseph Jaffe and David Spark discuss some common mistakes made when it comes to social media marketing.

One that really made me laugh was Don’t post a comment on your own Facebook profile wall. Although you can no longer do this with the new layout, sometimes something small like this can really make you stand out. Nothing’s worse than looking like you have no idea what you’re doing.

Another thing you can do is ask if someone has a Facebook… you don’t have a Facebook you’re on Facebook. Or you could spell it FaceBook. Capitalising that B doesn’t look good. But if you don’t capitalise the T in YouTube you’re not winning my vote. I’ll probably stab you if you spell it utube.

Here is some other stuff you should get right, especially if you think you’re an SMS.

Posted by Zac Martin

27 November 2008

I should preface this by saying I’ve never been an outstanding university student. My results usually range from average to okay, occasionally I’ll manage a decent mark if it’s something I’m interested in (here’s hoping for an HD in Electronic Marketing!).

Anywho, I got my results for this semester. Failed a law subject.

I think most other students would be a little concerned about this. It’s a permanent black mark on my Academic Transcript. Yet I am not nearly as worried as I suppose I should be.

When I threw out my resume, I threw out my Academic Transcript too. Anyone who asks to see it I think is asking the wrong questions. And even then, I think I’m better off focusing on other non curricular activities like this blog.

But it doesn’t really matter what I think. Potential employers could be reading this blog, so why not tell me, have I hurt my employability? Have I made it even worse by admitting in this public space?

Posted by Zac Martin