Jamey Mellis, “The Computer Guy”, spoke about internet threats at an AITP meeting. I want to share two of his great tips for making your internet use safer.
There are lots of good web sites out there and some not so good. SiteAdvisor is a free tool you can download from McAfee which will steer you away from the bad ones. Once you install this tool and browse the internet, it will give you a green check for sites that are safe and a red “x” for ones you should stay away from.
Secunia is another great resource and is free for personal use. This tool scans your computer and notifies you of any software vulnerabilities. Instead of having to check each piece of software on your computer for updates, this will show you in one shot where software patches are needed. (A “patch” is software that fixes problems or updates computer programs). You can then go out to the vendor’s web site and update any patches as needed.
There is definitely a lot more to be said on using the internet safely and these two sites will get you started on better browsing.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Monday, February 1, 2010
Social media 101: Influence, not control
One of the biggest concerns I hear from people considering the use of social media in their organization is fear of losing control of their message. Well, the truth is, you don’t have control of it anyway. People can, and will, say anything they want about your company or nonprofit.
The key with social media is your ability to influence what is being said. It gives you the power to put your message out there and respond to what people are saying about you. For example, if a complaint is made over twitter about your customer service, you can respond publicly to acknowledge that you heard their complaint and are addressing it. This also shows other people watching this conversation that you are attentive to customer concerns.
So, with social media, although you can't use it to control what people say, you can effectively use it to correct any complaints, learn from customers, and find new ways to met their needs.
The key with social media is your ability to influence what is being said. It gives you the power to put your message out there and respond to what people are saying about you. For example, if a complaint is made over twitter about your customer service, you can respond publicly to acknowledge that you heard their complaint and are addressing it. This also shows other people watching this conversation that you are attentive to customer concerns.
So, with social media, although you can't use it to control what people say, you can effectively use it to correct any complaints, learn from customers, and find new ways to met their needs.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)