Wintec Network

For my final blog in this series of class blogs, I’m am going to have one hell of bitch session.

Wintec…ah Wintec. Yes, it has it’s many wonders and benefits, its practical, the tutors are friendly and we all know its better than Uni, but there is one huge problem that is ruining everything! The bloody computer network. If it’s not down, its slow, if its not slow you can’t get onto the net, if you can’t get on the net, you can’t open your files and if you can’t open your files they wiped your home drive. Yes that’s right, wiped your home drive.

In the holidays while the computer system was being updated, or cleaned up or whatever was going on they managed to make life very difficult for some students. A few lost access to there files, a few lost access to application and myself, I lost my entire home drive. So it really didn’t matter that I had backed up my files, no, even they wouldn’t work as all the little information that no one ever thinks to save e.g. fonts and random cookies were wiped also. So I had nothing to work with, nothing at all and I couldn’t save anything onto it nor could I use my Wintec email. I was o for awesome! So naturally I went to the student help desk, but as per usual there was nothing they could do…maybe the IT guys should be down here, that might help right?! So they tried and tried and nothing, all was lost.

That was almost two weeks ago, I am slowly getting bits a pieces back and can use my emails again, but still nothing substantial. The other students still are in the same position too. So I must ask, how on earth do you *%#$ up that badly? Not only that, but then not be able to fix if for weeks then say “oh well at least you can get an extension” …that was very patronising! I mean don’t get me wrong, th student help desk did all they could, which I’m grateful for, but how do you get to that point in they first place? These are trained professionals! And one or two stuff ups you can imagine. But four from the same class and “quite a few more” throughout the school is unacceptable! Not to mention the constant troubles we have with the network normally.

Not only that we have the issue of the Macs being on the PC network, it just doesn’t work, its too slow and not designed for what Macs do. Not being a computer techie, I can’t offer any advice on how to fix all of these problems, but this was the final straw for me and it really needs to be dealt with ASAP.

THE RECESSION IS OVER!!!!!!...did anyone notice it?

That’s right people, that glooming dooming, fear inspiring R-word is over. The crash started in 2007, with little acknowledgement from myself, 2008 went off without a hitch, then all of a sudden 2009 was the year of redundancy, high unemployment, mortgage foreclosures, business’s going under and so many other thing barely worth mentioning.

According to a story on Stuff: “The recession ended in the June quarter, with the economy growing by the barest of margins, up just 0.1 per cent, according to official figures” Yes the dreaded recession that was meant to be worse than the great depression, that was supposed to keep all of us from getting jobs when entering the workforce, has ended after a mere 5 quarters...I believe a depression has to last 5 years, not quarters! So…did anyone actually notice it?


Ok so I am obviously coming at this from the angle of a student…that’s because I am a student, so no one can really blame me for my angle of opinion. Personally, I think this whole thing was a case of scare mongering. It was a psychologically driven “recession”. Basically some high up economist started telling the world that we were in recession because there was a dip in the economy, we were all doomed and banks started going under everywhere. Obviously there had to be some truth to the dip in the economy, however I don’t really see the necessity in calling it recession. This caused the world to jump into a panic! People stopped spending, shops went under, people started killing themselves and everyone loomed in an uncertain haze wondering what would happen next.

However, it made a dam good political argument! How convenient, a recession, right before the elections. Everything else got thrown out of the window and all we cared about was ‘how will the government handle the’ “economic crisis”? Not to mention stores, the ones who ‘survived’, had a great bargain line: the “RECESIONBUSTER” deal. So I have to ask what the hell happened? Was there actually a recession or did we just trick ourselves into believe there was a problem because the government and the media told us too? Tell you the truth, I think yes. They told us there was no money, so we all stopped spending, thus harming the economy. We started to get a little confidence back and stared spending, and the economy started expanding again…who’d have guessed it? (please note the sarcasm in that)

I take my own situation as an example. My workload hasn’t changed in the last two years, actually got a pay rise which, because of my student allowance, meant I had to work less hours but I was still getting the same amount of pay each week. This tricked me into thinking I was getting less and for some bazaar reason I blamed the recession. At work, because of the ‘recession’ they laid off people at work, which meant there weren’t enough people to do the job, so the rest of us were given more hours, thus earning more money. Somehow the ‘recession’ actually had me better off than before. However, because I kept hearing left, right and centre that we all needed to tighten our belts. So I did, thus saving more than before. Of course my situation, as a student with no family to support or a mortgage, contributes to this opinion, I’m interested in what you think, did the recession really effect you???? And for a bit of light relief about the recession, check out the south park episode Margaritaville. Its pretty bang on!...and funny!

Keep on keeping on...Part 2!

Last week it was all about the comic relief, this week its all about the underlying feel good message. Yes that’s right, I’ve been that socialised by American movie ideals that I have decided to put in a feel good hidden meaning blog to follow up all that comic relief…Seth Rogen eat your heart out! However instead of just getting it off some website that gives us the top 10 motivational tips, this is all coming from me, customised to suit the Web Media students, who are all in a similar boats, riding the same wave!

This has all sparked form my first point of rather being asleep that in class. However the more I think about it the more all of these tips apply to every point I made. So this is my advice on how get up, stay awake, get over the hump, live through the boring hazy lectures and get that work done. Now I’m not a genie I can’t make this all happen, you have to do it!

First things first: drink some coffee! Or better DON’T! The thing about coffee is that although it may give you that initial boost, but you are more likely to crash and feel worse than you did before…same with energy drinks and chocolate unfortunately. It triggers your sugar releases and sends you flying then BAM straight back down. So it will get you up but won’t help in the staying awake department. Swap that coffee for an apple, it will give the same energy kick that coffee does, but without the nasty crash. This quote, from an American university website helps back up that argument “According to the MythBusters Web site, a healthy alternative to drinking coffee is eating a full apple every morning. The caffeine in the coffee will wear off quickly compared to the lasting effects of the natural sugars and positive aspects of eating an apple.” Another thing to try is Green tea, yes it has caffeine but its not riddled with chemicals and works better with your body as it contains antioxidants! This is exactly what your body will need on those painful Friday mornings after a big night out!

On from that note, eat some bloody breakfast!!!…Tui Benau I’m looking at you! Sorry to be so firm, but how can you really expect to stay awake is classes with nothing in your system to keep you going?! Grab yourself something Low GI, even if it’s just a small bit of wholegrain muesli and some fruit, your energy levels will be higher and you’ll be able to STAY AWAKE! In case you’re not sure what I mean by Low GI, click the link to a website that will tell you everything you need to know about Low GI without me saturating this blog. To prove this fact to myself I did an experiment. I normally eat breakfast every morning, so I changed my ways and stopped eating breakfast for a few days, even on day one I felt awful, buy 10 O’clock I felt like I was going to fall asleep, I couldn’t concentrate and was craving boost foods like chocolate and coffee. When it finally got to lunch time, I just pigged out on foods that weren’t going to do me any favours. I though that after a few days my body would get used to it…NOPE! By the forth day, I could barely get out of bed without coffee as the not eating breaky threw my whole body’s eating habits out of whack. I gave up after that!

Now if the flip side of that point for you is you’re worried about putting on weight and skipping a meal sounds like a good way to avoid it…WRONG! Skipping a meal actually puts your body into starvation mode and makes you store fat! The more frequently you eat the faster your body learns to metabolise! Also as I did, you’re more likely to pig out on bad foods later if you skip meals. With that in mind do a bit of exercise. Eating first thing in the morning will not only give you the energy to stay awake in class, and the energy to do some exercise. As the push play ads keep telling us, even just 30minutes a day will do it. This will increase your energy levels, making it easier to stay awake in class, get out of bed in the mornings and speed up your metabolism too! Seriously, most classes start at 9, it doesn’t take much to get up and go for a walk. If you check out the website, it details a whole range of fun and exciting ways to stay active.

Try getting outside, the sun produces Vitamin D with not only helps you grow (for all you short arses out there) but also makes you happy and reduces your stress levels! On that same note, make sure you are getting enough sleep! I’m an insomniac myself so I understand the pressure to sleep sometimes can be tremendous, but sleeping produces melatonin and serotonin which are chemicals in the brain that make you happy and help intelligence levels!

So, if you take my advice, you’ll be feeling a lot more energised and ready to take on the normal Wintec day. Not only that, but you’ll look and feel healthier and happier in your normal day to day life, not just at Wintec.

Keep on keeping on!

Ok, so I’m going to take a different angle today. Its class based, only it won’t be about something I’ve read, because tell you the truth I’m sick of it?! I’m sick of reading, I’m sick of writing (blogs), I’d rather sleep than be in class and frankly Facebook takes priority over homework right now. Now to those who know me you’re probably thinking this is a rather dark change of tune for me...no really I’ve just hit THE HUMP!

Ah yes, the dreaded HUMP, that part of the first part of the semester where things get a little fuzzy, not to be confused with the same time in the second part of the semester where things get scary, that’s a whole other world!


This is that hazy, boring, dragging part, two weeks out from the holidays where you haven’t had enough pressure from class/assignments to motivate you so you mosey on through and force yourself to do those last necessary bits and pieces just enough to get the mark you want and you think to yourself “why, what’s the point? The couch is such a better proposition right now”. Don’t worry my friends, you not alone, the only reason I’m writing this blog is for those same reasons I just explained (and because I get to have a whinge).


I was contemplating making this a motivation blog filling it with links to motivation sites and have lots of great quotes and all that other cheesy crap...instead I opted for the “we need a break from academia” option. So instead this is riddled with funny things to help take you mind off that dying feeling inside most of us at this point...so beware when clicking on links, who knows what you will find?!

My suggestion is, take a bloody break! This is a great way to do it: sit down organise exactly what you need to do, suss out how to do it, write that all down then put that piece of paper in a safe place. Then take a day off and do something fun and energetic, now here comes the multitasking...or thereof. At the same time as you are having fun DO NOT THINK ABOUT TECH WORK!!!! Forget about how god damned frustrating DigiPub is and how you would rather eat cat food than open another online account and not to mention that if that person in your group (no specific reference here, I just know everyone has experienced this) says one more idiotic thing, you’ll slap them! Just forget all of that, RELAX and have fun. This way you have recharged your batteries and when you go back to your work, it’s all laid out and organised, ready for you to jump straight in with a clear head. Then my advice would be, as I’ve said before, JUST DO IT! This way, this time after the holidays, it won’t be so scary!


So, we are all in the same boat right now and it may seem arduous and monotonous but hey the trick is just keep on keeping on!

If you're not online, you don't exist!!!

No not really, you still exist...just not in any real functional way in today’s society. This topic was brought to my attention by Adam tagging this article in our recommended reading (thanks Adam) and sparked up a few things in my brain.

Ok so this article is based on businesses needing to be online and the article, although averagely written, was right on the money. This is besides my point; it was the title that got me. IF YOU’RE NOT ONLINE, YOU DON’T EXIST. Now that is the whole point of this class!!! We are told and taught week in and week out that we have to be online we have to be constantly active and writing blogs and tweeting AND uploading photos AND creating accounts AND EVERYTHING ELSE! It’s rather overwhelming, in fact its getting irritating. Now here is the part where I just don’t know which stance to take, both sides have relevant points.

Side one: We are media students and this IS where the world is going. And the truth is everything is done online these days, shopping, banking, information gathering, reading, networking, meetings, communicating and hundreds and thousands of other things that would be stupid for me to go into. The thing that really gets me is that we now socialise online with things like Facebook and Beebo which is plain proof that OUR WHOLE WORLD IS ONLINE! Almost every part of our lives revolves around the internet; even one of our most basic human needs, somehow, socilasing online suffices our need for other human contact. Seriously, does anyone know anyone else (in the western world) who isn’t online in someway. So it’s not just necessary it’s almost evolutionary! So for us, it’s vital. I think this is why the title got to me so much. Twenty, even 10 years ago you “didn’t exist” if you weren’t in the phone book, the internet, now, is the same difference.

Side two: All of these different accounts are annoying and hard to keep track of. Also there is the threat of being too exposed online with too many accounts with personal information. Even if you limit your information to what is necessary to even create the page there is still a lot being sent out to the world that could be potentially dangerous. They are total time wasters; I have lost so much of my life online making accounts, updating, commenting, blogging, uploading etc.
Do I really need three email addresses, four social networking accounts, three photo uploading sites, two uploading video sites and seven blogs??? I think not!

So… My conclusion is that it’s a necessary evil; this class has proved that, considering we have to do this to pass, but I’d really like to know what you as classmates and future colleagues think? So leave me a comment!

Tips on how to get hired

Ok, so everyone is getting a little worried about what might happen to us in the big wide world when we get out there with this recession looming over our heads. We are all smart, educated well presented young (well most of us) adults so why shouldn’t we get a job? Well, just to put things further into favour here are a few tips derived from PR Buzz – a letter to young job seekers translated from American sugar coating into plain Kiwi. But feel free to read the original.

Tip 1: PROOF READ!!! This may sound obvious, but you really need to make sure CV and cover letter are %100 free of any errors, especially spelling and grammar mistakes. If you’re sending out a few CV’s obviously to don’t have the time to fully customise each CV, however doing something as stupid as misspelling the name of the company you’re applying for id the type of thing that will get your CV chucked away after the first glance. - Typos send the message that if you’re careless with work for your own benefit, you’ll be careless with agency work.”

Tip 2: SELL YOURSELF! A lot of interviews will start with the “tell me about yourself” line, so you need to know how to talk yourself up. This is not the time to be modest and coy; this is the time to tell them exactly why they should hire you over anyone else. So if you can’t sit there and list of your strengths, than get practising! - Prepare a one-minute spiel that highlights your strengths and personality, then practice it before your interview. You don’t want to recite mechanically, but you also want to sound ready and polished.

Tip 3: Research the agency before you get to the interview. More likely than not you’ll be asked why you picked that particular company to work for. Right now while you’re going for that job at the local retail store it’s easy to bluff this one with a few generic answers. But when you’re going for that wicked job at the wicked PR firm or ad agency, that’s not going to work - you’re meeting with professionals who can spot spin in an instant - So jump online, get some info and show them that you’ve done your homework on them.

Tip 4: Bring a portfolio. Make sure it’s a good one that showcases your good work. It’ll make you look good and hopefully set you apart from the other candidates, giving you the leading edge.

Tip5: Prepare Questions. This is just as important as doing your homework on the agency because it’s basically the same thing and shows that you have initiative and are interested in the company and your possible place there. The article goes into really good detail on this one - Go beyond “What is an average day like for someone at your agency?” That’s not a bad question, but a better question would be, “I saw on your website that you work with Client X. What are some of the projects and campaigns you put together for Client x?” This lets the interviewer know that you researched the agency and demonstrates that you’re interested in the agency’s work. Asking questions also extends the interview, meaning you have more time to convince the interviewer that you’re the right candidate for the job. Ask questions about the interviewer’s perspective on industry issues. Engage in conversation. Even if you don’t get the job, at least you will have learned something new that will help in your next interview.

Tip 6: Be careful with your online footprint. Here we go again with the stuff our tutors tell us in every class, but turns out they were right...who’d a thunk it? Basically just be careful what you post, because it’s all fun and games until a potential employer finds that photo of you at your mates 21st spewing in the main street dressed as a skanky pirate on your Facebook. Either get rid of those photos or set privacy filter on all of your social networking sites. - Peter Shankman once said, “Grandma, Priest, Boss - If either of the three would be offended, DON'T POST IT.” In the same vein, if your cell phone has a voicemail greeting that presents you in an unprofessional way, consider changing it. Your friends might love the rap music that plays before they leave you a message, but your potential employer probably won’t.

Tip 7: Turn all of those “wasted” hours on Youtube, Facebook and Twitter etc in valuable new media knowledge and savvy. - Demonstrate that you can be creative and insightful about how new tools can be applied to PR. Comment (positively!) on past agency work in this area and be familiar with some of the well-known case studies in the PR industry. Make sure you are in the know about the latest social media tools. – To me that sound like a great excuse to be on Facebook at work!

So get out there, do the research, sell yourself and PROOFREAD!

Twitter...

Am I old fashioned? Out of the loop? Ignorant? …no, I just don’t care. Tell you the truth I was hoping this stupid thing would be a fad that crashed and burned like ICQ. (Well here in NZ at least) Unfortunately, no, it looks like its here to stay and we keep hearing about it left right and center.

What’s so great? You get 140 characters to “tweet” about something to the whole world. Honestly…I don’t care that Cocoholder just drove past a car fully of slappy teenagers, nor do I care TanujDua has moved to making cat noises. Seriously what is the bloody point other than to give ones self a false sense of high self importance, when the truth is that no one cares. At least on other social networking sites such as Facebook and Myspace the information is going out to just your friends, who may care a bit, not the whole world. Because who else, other than your friends, let alone even them, cares that your dog just jumped up on your lap.

As an interesting test, I went on twitter and searched “twitter”, here are the most amusing ones: N0R3: @MzS0IcY heyyy! tryna break my twitter addiction lol...
kayjacobs: I got twitter back on my phone, Yes! :D
xpureirishx: good night twitter <3
Rootsology: Hows my Twitter family.....
These people are sad…yes that is a symbol for a love heart. Idiots!

It’s not all evil though, a SMALL percentage of people actually post some relevant information. And if people have nothing better to do that read and write tweets then why not be one of the smart people and make some money off of this or use it to enhance your business in someway. If thousands of peole want to read about what other people are doing, why not send them a PR message. According to the PR warrior blog on our recommended reading these are the 10 reason PR practitioner need to be on twitter:

1. Twitter is an influential medium – Twitter definitely reaches people en masse you just might need to filter out the irrelevant idiotic tweets, but in the case of influencing idiots, this might just be the right way to go!

2. Meet clever people – apparently “disproportionate number of smart/clever/intelligent people hang out on Twitter.” If you want the same result you’d better be careful and specific about what you’re looking for or you’re going to be filtering through some crap!

3. Build your network - "Every connection is a potential business opportunity". Just pick the right people!

4. Keep up with trends – Like I said I hope this one dies, but if the big wigs are saying this is the way to go, we’d better do it.

5. Pitch journalists – I think this point shows its irrelevance, why not just email the pitch in full? It even says that Journos probably don’t bother with twitter.

6. Pitch bloggers – why does it matter if bloggers are on twitter, it’s the same difference just longer/shorter?! People will write what they want regardless of the medium.

7. Tactical execution – If people think twitter is important, then unfortunately, it is. So I guess despite thinking it’s stupid, it’s worth getting amongst.

8.. Get info...fast! – For the usage of quick-polls, yes twitter works, because you have thousands of people with nothing better to do than give you their opinion. And as before, if people think it’s important, take advantage of that.

9. Build your personal brand (and sphere of influence) - "In the future, if you don't exist online, you don't exist." This is true and necessary, so if Twitter is the fad, exist within it, stand out and “build a base of professional credibility”.

10. Have a laugh. – On this note, I prefer to laugh at the idiots on twitter who think we care about what colour the rash on their foot is and more so take advantage of that for the use of PR.

So despite how base the idea of twitter may be, it seems to be necessary evil as it is a great networking resource if the ability to reach thousands of people. But I am quite happy to be proved wrong about this in either sense, so feel free to comment and let me know what you think about twitter.