mdsteedman1 - Tumblr blog

[mdsteedman1]

First of all thank you for taking the time once more for reading my blog it really is appreciated.

Today i will be discussing the pros and cons of holding a conference on site vs online during the current pandemic.

If we were in college we would need to sanitise the entire area wiping down surfaces just as we had to do on our visit to college .

As well as the wearing of masks and keeping our two meter distance .

Sanitising stations would be required upon entry we would only be allowed 6 listeners at a time meaning our speaker would have to give there presentation multiple times.

The atmosphere would be dreadful as the masks essential as they are dont look nice and make communication difficult as speech becomes muffled.

To put it bluntly I think holding an onsite conference during the current pandemic would be terrible and wouldn't be worth the effort we would have to put in to in to put the event on.

Online although its doing a good job of keeping things moving is no substitute to the real thing and of course is at the mercy of WiFi connections ect.

If there wasn't a pandemic I'd much prefer to be on site .

Once again thanks for taking the time to read my blog it really is appreciated.

[mdsteedman1]

First of all thank you for taking the time to read my blog it really is appreciated.

Today I am going to be writing an evaluation of our travel and tourism virtual conference.

We began our event with a briefing and organised our backgrounds that we had created and were introduced to our guest speaker Suzanne Lynch - ground operative for jet 2 at Glasgow Airport.

Unfortunately some of our audience came into our event to early which wasn't ideal but im sure it would have given them a good in sight.

We also went over our online etiquette which is important to have in place when organising an event .

We had a mixture of travel and events students as well as Lecturer's.

As enjoyable as our event was one we could improve on going forward is giving our quest speaker is a specific time scale to keep to.

Other than that I would say everything went really well for our first event.

I throughly enjoyed Suzanne's talk it gave us in sight into the different systems that are in place at the airport and the true scale of the operation and how versatile the job is saying there's not two days the same .

I also enjoyed hearing about her career path and how interchangeable it can be in requards to the different roles with in the travel industry.

It was a great relief as I have been very anxious about the future as I would like to be a travel agent but with the current pandemic was unsure if there would be a Job for me after college.

We also sent out a survey to our audience to gather vital feedback for our future events.

Out of the thirty people whom attended half filled out our survey with the vast majority enjoying our event .

Which I think is excellent for our first event going forward i think we should just clarify the time scale to the quest speaker .

Thanks once again for taking the time to read my blog .

[mdsteedman1]

First of all thank you for taking the time to read my blog today i would like to discuss the online event my class and I are putting on.

It is going to be an online speaker we shall be getting a guest speaker with first hand experience in the travel industry.

We will be using a combination of different platforms including Zoom, Ms teams as well as the graphics platform Canva.

We will be inviting travel and events students as well as Lecturer's to our event as we hope it will benefit them.

We will be dividing the group into different groups in order to make it more manageable to pull our Event together.

These groups will consist of Admin ,resources, marketing and health and safety Maia and I are in the marketing team.

We shall be designing backgrounds for zoom to identify ourselves as event organisers as well as posters to draw an audience we will be using the platform Canva.

Im looking forward to getting creative with Canva in creating a poster.

Once again thanks for taking the time to read my blog it really is appreciated .

[mdsteedman1]

Firstly I would like to thank you once more taking the time to read my blog.

Today i will be reviewing a virtual event it was supposed to be a review of the guest speaker for the Royal Highland games .

Unfortunately I was unable to get into zoom with the link so instead I shall be reviewing our online class experience.

Our class have several subjects including Travel and tourism, fashion in retail and digital culture .

Our class has approximately 10 regular attendees i believe.

Our lecturers frequently share there screen which is a god send in this current climate.

It really does add clarity to a lesson if we can physically see the subject matter .

As they say a picture speaks a thousand words and it's so true id be lost without it .

Our lecturer for customer care has a good technique of engaging with the going round the class asking questions.

This makes sure we are still present in the lesson whilst also taking in the required information.

I think its good that it still allows us to continue our education but its certainly no where near as good as being in the classroom but needs must .

I think of I’ve learnt from the online class in regards to our own online event is that engaging with your audience involved and engaged.

I believe our survey monkey and Q and A will serve this need .

I would like to thank you once more for reading my blog it really is appreciated.

[mdsteedman1]

Firstly I would like to thank you once again for taking the time to read my blog it really is appreciated.

Today i would like to discuss Canva the graphic design platform.

Canva can be used for a variety of things including posters,documents and presentations to a high spec .

I really enjoyed my experience using the platform and I was very satisfied with the final product.

I would say the platform is pretty easy to use a little fiddly at first but soon enough I had a very nice looking poster for our class to use .

I especially enjoyed the selection of graphics to choose from but also the ability to create something new .

I personally didn't find anything bad about the platform although when my mum used it for her work found it hard to achieve the standard she desired.

Overall I really enjoyed my experience designing our poster and would definitely be up for using canva again.

Once more thank you for taking the time to read my blog it really is appreciated.

[mdsteedman1]

First of all I would like to thank you once again for taking the time to read my blog .

Today i will be discussing Microsoft Teams and zoom .

Microsoft Teams often abbreviated to ms teams is a business communication platform.

I think alot of its popularity stems from popularity is through necessity as a result of the current pandemic.

Ms teams has some very useful features including online meetings.

As well as a chat function for those who can't speak on camera for whatever reason.

What i think is good about ms teams is how it is organised into channels making it much easier to manage.

I also like how the lecturer can share their screen it adds a good bit of clarity to the lesson.

As with all technology it can't always be relied upon.

I know others in the college have had issues with ms teams.

Fortunately our class hasn't experienced to many technical difficulties as of yet .

Even though we may not necessarily consider going to class an event it has allowed us to continue our education which truly is essential.

I had never used ms teams before joining the course.

In the beginning I would be ridduled with anxiety in the moments leading up to a class .

I would hate absolutely every second of the experience just feeling really uncomfortable .

I've since become much more at ease with with it .

That being said i can't wait to get back in the classroom.

I would now like to turn our attention to zoom .

Founded by former weber executive Eric yuan in 2011 and officially in 2013 is a video conference platform.

As with other platforms they have taken full advantage of the pandemic with popularity soaring.

Although the platform was already thriving in the business world.

Zoom has some pretty interesting features there's one that gives you the ability to touch-up your appearance.

I think this is excellent giving you less to worry about before that important meeting.

What i think is good about zoom is being able to just send out a link with out people having to register to the platform.

One thing that is bad about zoom is zoom bombing.

Zoombombing is where individuals will crash the meeting purposely disrupting it for fun.

People who engage in this behaviour are also known as zoom invaders .

My class and I are hosting an online conference im looking forward to .

Im eagerly anticipating a good insight into part of the travel industry for our guest speaker.

Im hoping our event runs smoothly and is well received.

Once again thanks for taking the time to read my blog.

[mdsteedman1]

Once again thank you very for taking the time out your day to read my post it really is appreciated.

Today i will be discussing social media platform Instagram.

Instagram is an American photo and video sharing social network service owned by social media giants Facebook.

Although originally created by Kevin systrom and Mike Krieger back in 2010 .

Instagram have tweaked and refined there product over the last decade.

Im sure this refining is what has helped them gain popularity as well as a concept that appeals to many young people.

Following it's launch in 2010 Instagram rapidly gained popularity with a staggering 1 million registered users in 2 months.

10 million in a year by June 2018 the platform tallied up an eye watering 1 billion users.

The most followed person is football icon Cristiano Ronaldo with an incredible 233 million followers on the platform.

In January 2011 instagram introduced hash tags which allows you to find like minded individuals and photos to help inspire.

Instagram actively encourages its users to make hash tags both specific and relevant enabling the feature to be more effective.

Instagram has an extensive selection of photographic filters.

Putting these tools in hands of creative minds the possibilities are endless.

In turn this can only inspire others to be more creative which i think is excellent.

The world could always do with more creative people.

As with everything else in life Instagram has its bad points also .

Instagram has been heavily criticised for the amount of illegal drugs being sold on the platform.

This activity was investigated in a 2013 BBC documentary.

It is worth noting however that Instagram actively condemn this behaviour and are taking steps to stamp this out .

Instagram has the potential to be a game changer for businesses and there events.

A whopping 500 million users engage with Instagram everyday .

With a third of the most viewed stories being created by businesses Instagram certainly is a great asset to the business owner.

Give followers an insight into the behind the scenes running of the business adding a more human touch .

I dont personally use apps and technology not really my thing .

But I think instagram has great potential for the creative mind so I really like that .

Once again if you have made it this far thank you very much it really is appreciated.

[mdsteedman1]

Firstly I'd like to thank you once more for taking the time to read my blog .

Today i would like to discuss the social media platform Facebook.

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg while he was at harvard University.

Fellow students Eduardo Saverin,Andrew McCollom,Dustin Moskovitz and Chris Hughes.

The early years of Facebook have been documented in the bio-pic the social network.

With the very talented Jesse Eisenberg playing Zuckerberg.

Facebook is now a big part of our daily lives.

I believe alot of this popularity stems from how user friendly the platform is .

Its jargon has become every day speech making the platform more accessible for everyone young and old alike .

Facebook has a variety of features from the like button to the new kid on the block the care button.

Theres also Facebook live a vital tool for businesses today instantly connecting the a larger audience.

There is also the video call feature which I'm sure has been a god send to many during the current pandemic.

Allowing much needed connection in what has been a truly awful year for all of us .

Facebook does have its good points keeping us connected and informed .

How ever not everything on Facebook is accurate or even true at all so it's important we verify everything we read .

Facebook has been heavily criticised over privacy concerns.

This criticism stems from the platform sharing information about us to third parties.

Which raises the question how much do they know about us ?.

Facebook along with the rest of social media has a massive problem with hate speech.

I believe much of this comes from a disconnect from being behind a screen.

As if we have forgotten we are talking to a fellow human being with feelings as well as thoughts.

Another factor is political and cultural issues .

We all have our own view points on these delicate matters and approach these discussions with controll and respect.

Another aspect of this is trolls individuals who have nothing better to do than spread hate and division.

They revel in people getting upset and biting to them the best thing we can do is ignore these people .

Facebook can be great for events allowing people to create and connect.

I recently attended comic con Scotland online it really good .

They showed Q and A,s from last year which was nice and nostalgic as it was my first con and one of the last things I enjoyed before covid hit.

They also had some interesting actors doing live Q and A,s keeping it fresh .

As well as keeping everyone updated on everything going on throughout the weekend .

As well as promoting traders selling a range of unique products.

Facebook and i have a love hate relationship I just recently returned after a 2 year absence.

I'm still debating with myself if that was the correct decision.

I often think id love to go back to an old Nokia or something and not have all the apps and nonsense.

What brought me back was i missing out on so much .

Which was upsetting and disappointing for me but i do wish more companies done news letters or something to make leaving the online world easier.

Once again thanks very much for reading its much appreciated.

[mdsteedman1]

Once again thank you for taking the time out your day to read my blog it really is appreciated.

Today I am going to be discussing twitter .

Twitter is a micro blogging system that allows you to send and receive short posts known simply as tweets.

Tweets can be up to 140 characters long and can include links to relevant websites and resources.

Twitter allows its users to follow one another.

If you follow someone you can view there posts on there time line .

Twitter is very popular with celebrities and people have always had a curiosity towards them .

Whether there flaunting lavish lifestyles or engaging in a twitter feud.

Many have flocked to the social media platform for gossip or entertainment.

Even former president Donald Trump loves a tweet using the platform to project his controversial opinions.

Twitter has some interesting features including one for collages.

For those that have the urge to be creative and showcase there talents .

If you have that idea for a new business venture try out twitter promote mode .

Whats good about twitter is you can receive all the latest news based on importance.

You also have a direct line to your idols and public figures of interest so you never miss a thing .

Of course twitter like everything else has its bad points one of which is not having to use your real name.

This anonymity in my opinion fuels the opportunity to spread hate with out consequences.

As a result it can produce a toxic environment for everyone but it can be particularly damaging to the more vulnerable people in our society.

Why not try hosting a twitter event in the form of a competition.

You could give away some product as a prize

Drumming up a buzz about your company

So the product is a small price to pay in return for such exposure to many potential customers.

I must say I dont personally use twitter although I do like the idea of keeping up to date with the things that interest me.

I just cant see it being enough to win me over im not a fan of these modern things .

Perhaps its fear of the unknown or maybe im just getting old haha .

I just feel social media and other online apps often kill real communication and should be used with caution.

Thank you once again for reading my blog.

[mdsteedman1]

Once again thank for taking the time to read my blog it really is appreciated.

Today I like to discuss e-safety and why it is vitally important.

Millions of us are spending a large amount of our time online.

We can do so much online from shopping to paying bills renting movies and online banking.

Criminals have always been opportunistic and have followed the masses online.

They have developed a number of different methods to take your hard earned cash.

Phishing being one of the common ones .

Phishing is were the criminal will send mock emails to con us into giving out our details.

These emails can be executed very well looking very authentic.

One example of this is a fake email from hmrc .

I received this one earlier this year and was almost taken in by it .

Until my mother said she didn't think they communicated through email.

We looked into it on the official website and low and behold it was a fake.

Other scams can include selling goods that don't exist .

Another example is fake charities this deplorable act is simple but effective.

Luckily there are steps we can take to protect ourselves and combat this problem.

We can check our privacy settings and make sure our social media is secure.

Be mindful of the passwords we're using .

The old 1234 maybe easy to remember but its also easy to guess.

It's also worth noteing that using the same password again and again isn't advisable.

As the old saying goes once one fall's the rest will follow.

This isn't written to scare anyone just a wee reminder to stay vigilant and stay safe.

[mdsteedman1]

[mdsteedman1]

First of all thank you very much for taking the time round read my post it is much appreciated. Today I would like to discuss how communication has evolved over the last three decades.

Although back in the nineties we were no longer flying pigeons .

Communication was a different world back then .

The average person had a landline something that seems few and far between now.

Letters were a common occurrence as were post cards

If you didnt have a landline not to worry as phone boxes decorated our towns and cities.

Superman would struggle for somewhere to get changed these days.

Jumping ahead to two thousand and five things are still very different.

Although we are starting to see the beginning of the modern age .

YouTube began its journey in February .

Following mark Zuckerbergs Facebook from the previous year.

Msn messenger was the cool way to spend time with friends.

MySpace was the platform for bands to showcase there talent.

Texting was common place although not with the assistance of predictive text .

You had to painstakingly select each letter .

You can access them through your phone,laptop,tablet or even your smart television.

Landlines were around although not quite so vital as before.

Returning back to the present day technology at an all time high .

There are dozens of apps that we can use .

Facebook and YouTube might still be leading the way.

Although now we also have whats app,ticktock and Instagram are also very prominent.

These apps are literally at your finger tips .

Things really have come along way .