chasetylerwilhelm

Hey people!  I hope everyone is studying hard for their finals.  I know I am!  I’m trying to get everything done, because I know summer is just right around the corner.

Starting in April, I have been writing for The NASCAR News, an online website totally dedicated to the world of NASCAR.  I am currently the contributing NASCAR Nationwide Series writer for the site.  My job is to write stories about the races each week.  This is such an amazing opportunity for me to get my name and work out there for the world to see.  The founder of the site is Cortney Dryden.  She is a senior at Auburn University, majoring in communications.  She started this site this past year, and people are really starting to take notice.  I think it is pretty interesting how I became involved with this website, so I would like to share the story with everyone.

Over the past couple months, I have been tweeting, and I have really become a pro at it.  Some say I spend too much time on it, but I don’t think so!  I mainly use Twitter to follow racing, whether it would be the drivers, or even the broadcasters and writers involved in the sport.  I have been really trying to network with as many famous writers as I can, and it has been working pretty well so far.  I am across Cortney’s profile a couple of months back and saw that she had just started this new website, so I decided to follow her.  We then began to talk about NASCAR and are passion for the sport.  We found out that we have some common interests in where we want to go with our careers.  I told her I was currently studying journalism here at Miami, so she wanted to see some of my work.  After that, I surprised to find out that she wanted me to start contributing to her site.  She was really impressed with my work.  So far, it has been such a great experience!

With the use of Facebook and Twitter, we have really been able to shed light on this website.  After we post an article on the site, we then post a link to the article on both social networks.  This gives more people the chance to read the specific article, as well as check out the rest of the site.  By using the skills I have learned in IMS 201, I have really been able to contribute a significant amount to this website, and the amount of people who are starting to recognize our work is continuing to grow each day.  I am so happy to be a part of The NASCAR News, I hope for more success in the future!

CW

Hey everybody!  I hope everyone in my IMS 201 class is making progress on their websites!  It is hard to believe the semester is almost over and it will be summer in about a couple of weeks.  I know it is getting down to crunch time, but we can make it!

The topic of discussion today refers to my opinion on Twitter and Facebook.  As you can see by the title of this blog, I think Twitter is better than Facebook by far!  Even though there are more applications available on Facebook compared to Twitter, I still think Twitter has an edge.  There are various reasons why I feel this way.

Since I established my Twitter account in January of this year, my usage of newspapers and televisions as a way to receive my news has drastically decreased.  Twitter has become my main stable when it comes to receiving the latest news around the world.  Besides watching Good Morning America, I don’t turn on my T.V. at all to receive the latest news throughout the day.  As for newspapers, I can probably count on one hand the amount of times I have physically picked up a newspaper to read.  Everything I need to know about the news is either on Twitter, or in the palm of my hand using applications on my iPhone.  Since I follow accounts such as USA Today and CNN, there is really no need to turn on the television, or even refer to the Internet on my laptop to receive the latest news around the world.  Both of these news groups do a great job of tweeting all the news you need to know.  they also include links that take you to the full article about the breaking news story online.

Another reason why I enjoy Twitter more than Facebook has to do with the frivolous things that people put as their status.  Whether it would be song lyrics, updates on a friend’s progress on a certain game application on Facebook, or complaining about their everyday life, I find many statuses on my news feed to be completely useless.  I get really tired of seeing statuses like this because they aren’t the least bit interesting.  If I am going to be a friend with someone, I want to know more about their life than the fact that they think so bitch at school is a hater, or what song they are listening to at the moment.  Unless you have something relevant to say that doesn’t have to do with gossip or other random crap, please refrain from typing anything in the box at the top of the news feed page.

With Twitter, I think there is more content involved.  You don’t see the latest breaking news stories on the Facebook feed.  You do see it on Twitter though.  You don’t see as much whining and complaining about complications in someone’s life on Twitter.  It is definitely seen on Facebook though.

Overall, I just enjoy Twitter a whole lot more than Facebook.  Although I have a Facebook and intend to keep it, I still check my Twitter account a heck of a lot more than my Facebook account.  Twitter provides a better atmosphere in general because it is a place where it is easier to receive news, communicate with others, and most importantly, network.

CW

Howdy!  This is bad.  I think I am starting to run out of things to talk about in these blogs.  For the next two paragraphs, I am going to talk about how I can’t imagine life without the smart phone.  We’ll see where this ends up!

In all seriousness, I really can’t imagine life without smartphones anymore.  They have become such a stable in all of our lives that it is so hard to think about going through day-to-day life without them.  I have an iPhone, and I can honestly do everything with this thing!  I have absolutely everything I need at the palm of my hand.  As a college student, it is especially helpful because I have to constantly check my e-mail throughout the day.  My iPhone allows me to check my e-mail on the go, instead of having to carry my laptop all over the place.  To be honest, ever since I have had this phone, I really haven’t used my laptop that much outside of school work.  Smartphones give you access to everything that a computer does.

Smartphones can also be the root of all evil though, especially for college students.  Since I can check both my Twitter and Facebook accounts anytime I want, I am constantly on my phone seeing what is new in the social media world.  Unfortunately, it can sometimes be a distraction.  I honestly can even count the number of times I check both of these sites everyday, especially now that I have the iPhone.  I know I’m not the only one that has this problem, because there are millions of other college students across the country who face the same problem.  Instead of alcoholics anonymous, there should be a social media anonymous, for all those people who are addicted to social media.  My name is Chase Wilhelm, and I am a Twitter-holic….

Although smartphones can be a distraction a good part of the time, I still think it is very useful to all of us who use them.  They are very versatile, and essentially anything can be done on them.  The way the world is headed these days, I wouldn’t be surprised to see almost every person with a smart phone in the next 5-10 years.  There are many companies, such as Blackberry and Apple, who would love to see this happen.  The way the world works today, it is almost an inconvenience if a businessman doesn’t have a device such as the iPhone, Blackberry, or even an iPad.  It is going to be interesting to see where we are headed in the future when it comes to technology at the palm of your hand.

CW

Hello again everybody!  The semester is winding down and it is almost time for summer!  But before I get to ahead of myself, I still have projects and various other things that need to be done to ensure I get the best grades as possible in all of my classes.  During these last couple weeks of classes, one of my main focuses has been on my website.  Since I am doing an online resume for my web design project, I want to make sure it is done as well as possible so I can reap the maximum benefits from it.  I want this site to be a place where an employer can visit and learn everything about me.  Anything they need to know about who I am as a person and what I have accomplished will be on this site.  I think this idea is coming along very nice, given I haven’t had too much trouble with anything so far.  I continue to hope for the best, considering I am still pretty new when it comes to this web designing thing.

So far, I have included four tabs.  One is for the homepage, where you will see an introduction as to who I am.  The second tab will show and online copy of my resume.  This is the most important part of the website because instead of submitting resumes all over the place when it comes to applying for jobs, I can just have future employers refer to this site.  The third tab consists of a portfolio of the work I have done in my mass communication and journalism majors so far in my undergraduate career.  This will include projects, stories, and other things related to the classes I have taken so far.  This will also include some of my writing samples from my new job as a contributing writer for The NASCAR News, an online site totally dedicated to everything involving NASCAR racing.  My last tab includes my contact information, just in case anyone wants to have a conversation with me.

I think an online resume is the next step in preparing myself when it comes time to find a job after I graduate from Miami.  I am so excited to see the end result of my resume!  It is going to look so cool when it is finished!

CW

Hey everybody!  Hopefully everyone has been enjoying the great weather we have been blessed with lately in Oxford.  A little depressing having to go to IMS class in a dark room with no windows, but class tends to fly by.

I want to talk about some exciting things I will be doing with social media this summer, and in the fall next school year when we come back from summer vacation.  First off, I found out that I will be creating and managing a Facebook and Twitter account for a racing team back in my hometown.  It will be my responsibility to update his fans on how the driver’s car is running during the race, what he and his team are saying about the car, where he qualifies and finishes, and other things of that nature.  I am so excited to do this because it does two things for me.  One, it gets my name out there a little bit since I want to get a job in NASCAR someday.  Second, I love being around anything that goes really fast!  Racing is such a passion of mine and I love every minute I am around it!

Starting next fall, I will also be starting a Twitter and Facebook account for the Miami Club Cycling Team, a club that I have been a member of for a year now.  I feel using social media will give our cycling team a ton of exposure both on and off campus.  The team will use Twitter and Facebook to alert our followers of upcoming races to attend, results of races, athlete spotlights, blogs, and other things related to the team.  I think this is such a great opportunity to really get our name out there.  We have been very competitive so far this season.  I want to make it known to the world that we are very serious about what we do and we are out to win every race we possibly can!

If it wasn’t for IMS class, I don’t know if I would have ever given Twitter a chance.  I always thought having a Facebook was good enough.  I’m very glad that this class has opened me up to Twitterville because I have had a blast using it ever since the beginning of the semester.   I am excited for all of the fun things I will be doing with Twitter in the future.  It is such a great way to network and get your name out there!

CW

Hey again!  Today, I am going to talk about my website progress.  It’s actually coming along pretty well.  I picked this sweet new layout!  It looks pretty slick because it is blue and black.  Surprisingly, it didn’t take me long to find the layout either.  I don’t know about everyone else, but when I go online to look for things such as templates and layouts, it seems like it takes me forever to find the one I want.  I have to go through all the poorly designed ones first before I get to the good stuff.  It is just like searching on Google because it is important to look beyond the first page!

I’m really excited about this layout because it has the tabs at the top at the page.  For some reason, I like tabs at the top of the page rather than on the left-side.  I think it just looks a lot cleaner.  I’m very glad I gave Open Source Web Design a try because they have some really good designs that would be useful for this final project.  I thought using Open Source Web Design gave me a lot of options to work with, even more options than Dreamweaver.  If anyone in class hasn’t gotten the chance to look at that design site, I would definitely give it a try.

I can’t wait to start putting some content into my site.  It’s going to be a site that is totally dedicated to racing!  I figured I should pick a topic that I love to talk about, considering it would make the project even more enjoyable.  Hopefully everything goes smoothly with the site and I don’t have any major problems creating it.  Based on all of the practice I have had in class and the midterm exam, I feel pretty confident that I shouldn’t have too much trouble.  If so, I’m glad we have a good teacher to work us through our problems.  I can’t wait for a work day in class so I can pound out some major work on this thing and get it done.  The final result is going to look pretty cool if it turns out as planned!

CW

After class on Thursday, I realized how much technology has evolved over a short, 20-year period.  It is crazy to think that the Internet isn’t even 20 years old yet, and we have learned to do so much with it.  It is now a basis for all of our lives.  We have become so dependent on computers, cell phones, the Internet, and other technological advances, that it is hard to imagine life without them.  Technology runs essentially everything in our lives now-a-days.  Our bank accounts, how we get our news, and even our social lives are managed over the Internet.  As I am writing this blog, I am seeing commercials for companies like IBM, one of the most famous computer corporations in the world.  They are currently working on technology that could possibly run our government.  Not only has it been amazing to see how far technology has come over the past 15-20 years, but it will also be interesting to see how far technology will progress in the next 20 years.

When looking at how much technology has changed, it is very interesting to see how small technological devices have become compared to 50 years ago.  Back when computers were first invented, they were stored in huge rooms because they were so massive.  Now, computers can easily be placed on your lap, or even in the palm of your hand.  This is what sparks my interest the most.  In the 1990’s, the so-called ‘Zach Morris’ cell phones (referring to the TV show Saved by the Bell) were the latest technology.  Only the more privileged had mobile phones they could take anywhere.  Now, not only can cell phones fit in your pocket, everyone has one!  Not only can you call people, but you can even play games on your phone such as Pac-Man.  I know the older generations in my family would have killed to have a portable Pac-Man game, but instead they had to find rides to the arcade once or twice a week.

Noticing how dependent we have become on computers and cell phones, I can’t help but be a little concerned.  We have become accustomed to putting almost all of our important information and data on computers.  Our society is starting to rely on these technological devices as a main form of communication.  We are starting to become so attached to these devices that sometimes we miss other important aspects of life.  People are constantly on their cell phones, even when they are with other people.  This is why my generation has been referred to as ‘Generation Q’, or the quiet generation.  Instead of having conversations in person, my generation is more likely to send a text message.  Text messaging is not a very good way to keep a good conversation, because it lacks the emotion of the individuals.  You can’t read what people are thinking, feeling, and saying when it is sent over a 10-word text message.  In my opinion, my generation has lost some of the more traditional ways of communication, ways that are valuable when trying to network and connect with others.  It is pretty scary if you think about it.  We as humans have created these new innovations, but the true question is, will technology ever overtake us?

Ever since Mr. Revelle introduced me to Twitterville, I have been hooked!  The wide variety of things that can be done using Twitter is crazy.  Not only is it used to connect with friends, but it has many other uses as well.  Professional athletes are creating Twitter accounts to reach their fans, getting in touch with them like they have never done before.  It is also a place to market products like soft drinks, cars, and sporting events.  The latest breaking news stories are even prevalent on Twitter.  Upon checking my account numerous times a day, I am also getting the latest news from around the world with the use of hashtags, which tread depending on how many people use the same hashtag.  For example, I was checking my account over spring break before I want to bed one night.  As I was looking at the most recent tweets, I came across one that was composed by Chad Ochocinco.  He tweet contained a message that said his thoughts and prayers are with those in Japan.  Wondering what would cause him to say this, a hurried up and turned on CNN to see if there was any breaking news about the country.  Sure enough, I learned about the earthquakes and tsunami that struck the Japanese coast.  Finding out a breaking news story in this matter made me realize how much Twitter is growing worldwide.

Not only can Twitter be used for serious matters, but it is also being used for humorous purposes as well.  Just the other day, I stumbled across two Twitter accounts that really caught my attention.  One was that of Ron Burgundy, a fictional TV news character played by Will Farrell in the movie Anchorman.  This account is not run by Farrell himself obviously, but it does provide very funny tweets that tend to make me chuckle throughout the day as I read them.  Another account that caught my attention was one created to portray Stewie Griffin, a fictional baby in the TV show Family Guy.  If you are an avid viewer of the show, you will notice that the tweets composed by whoever runs the account are jokes that people can picture Stewie Griffin saying in the TV show.  Of course, you would have to have a little bit of background information on his character to get the tone of the jokes, but they are funny regardless!  Here are the usernames:

@TheRonBurgundy

@LordStewie

Very hilarious!  I thought these accounts seemed pretty cool, so I decided to share them with everyone in class.  Definitely great accounts to follow, especially if you are a fan of the movie or the show!

CW

Well…I think it is safe to say that my group’s video will not get the most views this semester.  It is very sad, but I will be the first to admit that there were definitely some pretty hilarious videos made by my classmates.  Although it may seem like I am being pessimistic, I really don’t see our video making any sort of leap to the top because of how many views other videos have so far.  The last time I checked, the dancing bunny video had over 5,000 views, compared to our measly 130 views.  I guess dancing bunnies attract more attention than a raging women’s basketball coach losing his mind in front of a camera.  But then again, flip on ESPN and you see coaches ranting and raving all the time.  How many days out of the year do you see a dancing bunny ‘hop’ around a college campus with a stereo?  Not very often, unless you live with Mike Gospel.  Then that would happen a little more than usual.  Totally kidding.

Although my group is not getting the views that we had anticipated, I still thought the project was fun overall.  It was cool to take video we shot and edit it into a video we found on Youtube.  The Coors Light theme turned out good as well.   After loading the video onto Youtube, we also noticed that we weren’t the first ones to make fun of Kevin Borseth, the University of Michigan women’s basketball coach.  It is disappointing to see that the other videos have more views than our video has, but maybe someday we will catch up.  Our video was definitely the funniest though, by far!

Good luck to the videos that are still in the running for the extra credit.  I know there is fierce competition between a couple of videos.  May the funnier video win!

CW

Well, we are about to reach the final four weeks of school.  This is the time where there is never enough hours in the day, and never enough coffee to consume.  We have reached the final stretch of a school year that seemed to fly by, and now Andy has given us one final project to work on: making our own website.  Scary I know, but I am actually excited for this final project and see it as one of the more fun activities I am doing in my classes at the moment.  Since I want to create a website of my own in the near future, I see this as a great learning experience.  Also, I find it very helpful that I am making my website topic about something that I truly enjoy.  I feel this is going to make this project a whole lot easier in the long run.  Usually when I do something I enjoy, I am more willing to put more time and effort into it.  I guess this can also explain why Miami Plan courses are so tough for me, but that is a totally different topic I could spend hours ranting about.

The biggest problem I have with making websites is the fact that CSS has no spell check.  It is very raw and leaves no room for mistakes.  If you type in <, and you meant for it to be >, then your whole website is screwed up.  This is where the lack of fun comes into play.  Precision is definitely key when it comes to making websites, and paying attention to detail is absolutely essential.  I consider myself a very detail-oriented person, but when it comes to websites, you can forget about it!  For example, I was having trouble getting one of my links to work one day in class.  I was sitting there trying to do everything to fix it, and nothing seemed to work.  Finally I get Andy to come over and help me, and he fixes it in a matter of seconds by looking at the CSS.  Never would have though to look where he did.  Now, given he has SO MUCH MORE experience with websites than I do, I can see how he found the problem so quickly.  But, it still amazes me how he could take what seems to be a page of gibberish, and turn it into something that makes sense and actually fix the problem.  I guess practice make better!

Although making websites can be extremely frustrating sometimes, they can also be fun as well.  Make the topic of  your website something that interests you, and the results will follow.  Finally I just want everyone to remember one thing:

Making a website works 60 percent of the time, all the time.

CW