Social Media and Website Builders

This week, our assignment includes joining a new social network and building a website. Personally, I feel that I already belong to enough social networks. If anything, I think I should be using social media less.

However, one social media website stood out. I have perused Reddit a few times, but I never considered signing up for an account. If I have to join another social network though, Reddit seems the most attractive.

Reddit

Key features of the site include the main categories: hot, new, rising, controversial, top, gilded, and wiki. You will see these at the top of the page when you land on the homepage. There are subreddits, and each subreddit has posts filed under each of these main categories. The homepage subreddit is considered "front". Subreddits can range from general, such as "funny", to specific (and maybe peculiar), such as "todayilearned". 

As a member of Reddit, you can post on the website under a specific subreddit. You can submit a new link or a new text post. You can even create your own subreddit!

Reddit was started by two University of Virginia graduates, and the website launched in 2005. Reddit became so popular that it caught the eye of Conde Nast, which acquired the website in 2006. In 2011, Conde Nast handed control of Reddit to its parent company, Advanced Publications. For more Reddit milestones, refer to CrunchBase.

One of the founders, Alexis Ohanian, has recently been on a tour spreading advice about how to compete as an entrepreneur in the Internet world. He explains that everyone wants to create a website that is the first of its kind, when they really should be focusing more on the quality of the website.

Ohanian goes on to say that trust and credibility are more important than mere page views. I definitely agree with this, and after reading about Ohanian, I like Reddit even more!

However, Reddit has not been free of controversies. The website has volunteer moderators that commit to ensuring that the posts in their subreddit are in line with Reddit's value of credible journalism. On Monday, the website's "politics" subreddit, known as r/politics, banned a slew of websites to be mentioned in their subreddit. 

Websites banned include Huffington Post, Mother Jones, and Salon. Personally, I think the r/politics moderators made the right choice because with a topic as sensitive as politics, credible sources are absolutely necessary.


Website Builders

Website builders sure have come a long way since Geocites. Assignments for this Emerging Communication Technologies class include building a personal and a group website. Two website builders that are recommended to us are Wix and Weebly. 

I have heard that Weebly is more user-friendly, so I chose that one. However, I noticed some other classmates using Wix and it looks the same to me. 

Weebly makes building an aesthetically pleasing website a piece of cake. You can create a free website under the domain "www.yourwebsite.weebly.com" or pay a fee for "www.yourwebsite.com". Since this is for a class, we're opting for the free domain.

You can customize everything on the website, from font to colors. There are a ton of templates to choose from, and you can modify them as you please.

My group's website has not been officially made, but at least I was able to secure the perfect domain name for us. Our topic is "Made in Bellingham". We are focusing on providing a guide to all of the best local businesses in Bellingham, WA. Stay tuned because we will be adding content very shortly: http://madeinbellingham.weebly.com

For more information on how to build a website on Weebly, check out this video:

I really enjoyed listening to this tutorial. It is simple, clear, and easy to follow. Also, it was uploaded to YouTube recently. Sometimes choosing a video based on its view count is not always the best! The Weebly tutorial with the most views was uploaded a year ago, and it discusses features that have changed. I recommend viewing this tutorial or another that has been uploaded within the last few months.

Some Final Thoughts

I already belong to LinkedIn, but I think this social network is one of the most valuable. I definitely recommend using this website if you are interested in connecting to other professionals in your field.

If you are looking for a website that has just about everything, I highly recommend becoming a Reddit member. Its commitment to true journalism and plethora of topics will surely reel you in.

Also, website building is not just for businesses. I was under this assumption prior to taking this class. I thought, why would I need a website for myself? Truth is, it can actually be incredibly helpful for job seekers, especially those who are about to graduate college, like myself.

Having a personal website helps you brand yourself and market to prospective employers. While I hate thinking of myself as a "brand", this is essential in today's job market. I am excited to continue building my group's website and begin building my website! 

Last week I discussed podcasts and the fact that I will be creating one. Currently, my class partner and I are working on it! After working with Audacity, I have found that I really enjoy it as well! The podcast will be posted on here shortly.

Thanks for reading!