Posted 10:42 PM by Melissa
The positive points of instant messaging in the business world are brought to life in Jim Hu's article Is IM ready to do Business?

One of the companies that provide special services for business through instant messaging is Data Mate.

It seems that the importance of IM in the work place wasn't realized until the tragedy on September 11, 2001. He explains how instant messaging served as a way of keeping in touch and a comforter, when phone lines were down.

But nowadays businesses are questioning whether or not the service should stay. The main reasons that businesses are reluctant to IM is because companies "want security, they want archiving, they want control over who's in and out of community, and they want the ability to set rules of community,".

This presents a stumbling block for IM providers because all that cannot be guaranteed right now with the instant messenger service. The main reason for companies blocking IM is because of security reasons.

"At stake are a host of potential business uses for instant messaging that can reach beyond closed corporate walls--from customer service to instant purchasing and marketing."

AOL and Microsoft working on seperate projects for corporate consumers. As for Yahoo, nothing has been done yet.

As far as its connection with the telephone, "Instant messaging has become one of the most popular applications on the Internet and has been described as a communications system rivaling the telephone." I think one day corporations will have special software that will secure messages sent through instant messenger and will take the place of the telephone.

For example, if a boss needs to talk to his secretary he can just send her an IM, instead of having to pick up the telephone and dial a number to get her.

IM is not ready yet to do business but it will be soon. Then the question would be is business ready for IM?

Posted 3:24 PM by Melissa
According to the Wall Street JournaI it seems that many Americans are using Instant Messaging in the workplace but not at all for work. The article AOL Invites Businesses Onto Its 'Buddy List' talks about how businesses are very reluctant to use Instant Messaging in the work place.

Corporations fear that allowing Instant Messaging will allow confidential information to "get out". As a result, AOL has a committee dedicated to solving this concern. "America Online's new IM product keeps internal messages within the company instead of routing them through its own outside network". But will this ease the mind of corporations.


Businesses have been focused on prohibting the use of instant messenger at work. But why are they so welcoming to email and not instant messaging? They are the same thing except that instant messenger is just that, instant.

When employees do use instant messenger at work, chances are they aren't using it to harm the company. I think no matter what companies do to try to ban Instant Messaging emplyees will always seem to use it, for one reason or another.

It seems that in the business arena instant messaging will not take the place of the phone. On the telephone one can be assured of who you are talking to and exchanging confidential information with. Someone can always sign on to another person's screen name and conflict can start there.

Posted 3:13 PM by Melissa
Email serves many different functions. Colorado State University has some information on email uses.

"Once you've established contact with these groups and individuals, you can gather and share information as well as elicit reactions to on-going proposals through email rather than face-to-face meetings or repetitive telephone calls. " In every aspect people are using the electronic mail instead of the telephone.

Derek Lyle, an Electrical Engineer, explains how you can communicate through email, without someone being on the other end. In his explanation of email versus the telephone, he mentions how you can leave a message without having to wait on the answering machine. But he also says that at some point, you will have to pickup the phone to make contact. Is this completely true?

I think for the most part email has taken over what we once used phones for but, obviously we still use phones. I don't think email is a replacement, it just lightens the load.

The site also talks about how professionals use email. After reading some responses from professionals, they all see email as a very useful and "convenient tool. . . . to communicate with their bosses." They also are able to communicate with one another through the use of email.

As far as email replacing the telephone, it may not. But email allows for some things that can never be done by the telephone. For example, one of the engineers makes mention of having to email some software to someone. There is no way for that to get done by phone. So once again, email just makes things easier.

Posted 2:31 PM by Melissa
I'm focusing on how email and instant messaging has taken the place of what we onced used phones for, both in the business and personal world. In an issue of the Internet Marketing Consultant Newsletter, there were tips on how to use email for business.

The tips were aimed to realtors but can apply to any business. Effective Uses of Email for Realtors was a very helpful tool in explaining how people can use email, instead of the telephone even for work.

In this instance, a realtor can email a potential buyer a listing of a home that he might be interested in. This can be done without worrying about the hour it is you called or if you are catching them at the wrong time, all thanks to electronic mail.

Email, is a way to keep consumers informed with whats going on in the market. A call would almost seem too bothersome. With an email they can pick it up at their convienience.

Another way email is used in business,is as a reminder. When the phone was the only way to get in touch with someone, let's say a deliver service, you would have to wait to get in touch with someoen at the office or whatever. Now you can save time by just dropping a little note in their inbox. Which might also speed up the process in which the work is done.

The final tip that is given is the need to send documentation. My aunt is a realtor, and is always saying how she has to drop this off here and that off there. But with the email, she can just attach the file and no one has to leave to go anywhere.

The article also mentions how the "ability to use email for daily correspondence and as a point of initial contact with prospects is essential." Email, is not just a personal benefit but helps to lighten ones work load, which is always great.

Posted 4:52 PM by Melissa
After taking FSU's online tutorial of the Library, it just reminds me of the many ways there are to research.

This tutorial was very helpful because it focuses on the steps involved in research and writing. The steps they give are: select a topic, collect information, retrieve information, evaluate sources and finally writing the paper. Throughout and in between these steps there is always room to refine/refocus your topic.

The tutorial went through how to find information on your topic at any one of FSU's libraries. Tips were given on how to search. It's amazing how students can access the database from anywhere.

The WebLuis system allows students, faculty and staff to search the library catalogs of not only just out school, but all the state universities.

Overall the tutorial was informative. It just gives me a reminder of the resources that are availible to me. There was nothing really that I didn't know, but it is very helpful for a newcomer.

There are even quizzes in the end so you can test your knowledge of the library and how to find information. Be sure to check it out!:-)

Posted 9:56 AM by Melissa
Charlie Lowe's paper "The Internet Can be a Wonderful Place, But.." explains the many ideas we have when we research.

When I started to become familiar with the internet, I had the idea of who needs the library anymore? Indeed the internet is a great place but the truth is, it has made us lazy. As Charlie points out students do try to take the easy way out by just getting all of their research from the internet. He makes it known that a true researcher must go the extra mile to find research.

The internet is not the only place to find information on a given topic, though much information can be found there. Gone are the days when we had to wait on mom and dad to take us to the library before we can learn something new.

Now everything that you would ever want to know can be found at your fingertips.

The search engines help researching on the internet easier, just as the database search in the library. It's true as Charlie says, we should become more specific when searching for a topic that gives hundreds of thousands results. I've fallen into that situation many times before.

Another issue with internet researching, is that everyone who is anyone can publish to the web. The process to publish to the web, as Charlie explains, is not as critical as trying to get your book on a local library shelf. In the library books are looked through with a fine tooth comb before being able to hit the shelf.

It's like librarians check to see if this bit of information will be ok to the readers. Whereas online, any piece of filth or idea that one has can be made public for anyone to see.

We also have to be careful when researching online because the sources might not be concrete. Just because it's published online doesn't make it the right information. You have to check around to make sure that person knows what they are talking about. "As a web researcher you have to ...establish the expertise of the author."

When you go to the library all of that is taken care of you because the author has publishers and editors. But when researching online, you have taken on that responsibility.

As a web researcher I have to be careful of the sources found online. Everything published is not a good source for research. Alot of published materials online are opinions, make sure the writer is a credible one.