Have you always wanted to work for the President of the United States? Do you spend all your free time on Facebook and Twitter? And, finally, are you looking for a job? Then look no further and become Obama’s personal Twitterer.
In these harsh times of unemployment, even the President himself is looking to create job opportunities. That is why, as of today, you can apply for a job that involves keeping Obama’s Facebook and Twitter account up to date. Your official title will be that of “Social Networks Manager”. The job involves becoming Obama’s spokesperson on Twitter and Facebook, which will hopefully help him to get re-elected in a few years time.
As to the more practical side of the story, here are some of the skills you need to master. First of all, you have to be an expert in posting messages on Twitter, Facebook and even MySpace. Furthermore you should be in the possession of strong and sharp writing skills and you need to be able to work under deadline pressure. Last, but by no means least, you have to be able to spend all day on Facebook and Twitter. Of course, occasionally, you could be asked to work nights and weekends as well.
The woman who previously held the much wanted position of “Social Networks Manager” is resigning any day now. If you are interested, just hop on the next flight to Washington D.C. and prepare for the ultimate SNS job.
Robin
Sources:
http://brainstormtech.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2010/02/12/help-wanted-obamas-twitterer-filibusterers-need-not-apply/
http://www.facebook.com/search/?ref=search&q=obama&init=quick#!/barackobama?ref=search&sid=548438648.4020030778..1
dinsdag 16 februari 2010
Disastrous train crash shakes up Belgium
Yesterday morning around 08:30 am, two commuter trains collided just outside Brussels. It has been confirmed that at least 18 people have died and another 171 were injured, but the rescue teams are still looking for passengers who are trapped underneath the train wrecks. The rescue operations went very smoothly and a field hospital was set up in the area to attend to the victims. It is almost certain at this point that one of the train drivers ignored a red light. At the moment researchers are trying to figure out what caused the driver to ignore the light.
The NMBS and Infrabel have expressed their regret and sympathy on their websites and have given a press conference yesterday at noon. A crisis centre has been set up to inform the families of the victims and to answer questions of concerned family members. Up to now, however, no formal statement has been made about the cause of the accident.
In my opinion, the crisis communication surrounding the train crash has, so far, been handled well by the NMBS, but there are huge question marks as to how this kind of mistake could have happened. There should be a minimum security system preventing these kind of catastrophes from happening. In that respect, the NMBS has received a lot of criticism. With the train catastrophe in Pécrot in 2001, the NMBS stated they were going to adopt a security system, that would cause trains to stop moving when a red light is ignored. So far, only 25 of 1100 trains are equipped with this system because in 2001 the NMBS decided to wait for European legislation. It will only be by 2013 that all locomotives are equipped with a safety system. Even now, after a second train crash, the procedure won’t be sped up. A decision that may prove to be fatal to the image of the NMBS.
Robin
Sources:
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid903077/machinist-kruipt-door-het-oog-van-de-naald.aspx
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid903215/treinbestuurder-reed-effectief-door-rood-licht.aspx
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1068275/2010/02/16/Trein-uit-Leuven-reed-wel-degelijk-door-rood.dhtml
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1068245/2010/02/16/Experts-voeren-onderzoek-naar-oorzaak-treinramp.dhtml
http://www.vtm.be/nieuws/binnenland/33176
The NMBS and Infrabel have expressed their regret and sympathy on their websites and have given a press conference yesterday at noon. A crisis centre has been set up to inform the families of the victims and to answer questions of concerned family members. Up to now, however, no formal statement has been made about the cause of the accident.
In my opinion, the crisis communication surrounding the train crash has, so far, been handled well by the NMBS, but there are huge question marks as to how this kind of mistake could have happened. There should be a minimum security system preventing these kind of catastrophes from happening. In that respect, the NMBS has received a lot of criticism. With the train catastrophe in Pécrot in 2001, the NMBS stated they were going to adopt a security system, that would cause trains to stop moving when a red light is ignored. So far, only 25 of 1100 trains are equipped with this system because in 2001 the NMBS decided to wait for European legislation. It will only be by 2013 that all locomotives are equipped with a safety system. Even now, after a second train crash, the procedure won’t be sped up. A decision that may prove to be fatal to the image of the NMBS.
Robin
Sources:
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid903077/machinist-kruipt-door-het-oog-van-de-naald.aspx
http://www.gva.be/nieuws/binnenland/aid903215/treinbestuurder-reed-effectief-door-rood-licht.aspx
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1068275/2010/02/16/Trein-uit-Leuven-reed-wel-degelijk-door-rood.dhtml
http://www.demorgen.be/dm/nl/989/Binnenland/article/detail/1068245/2010/02/16/Experts-voeren-onderzoek-naar-oorzaak-treinramp.dhtml
http://www.vtm.be/nieuws/binnenland/33176
zondag 7 februari 2010
How to go about a phone job interview
In the current economy where more and more people go after the same jobs, employers cleverly make use of the telephone to screen applicants in a fast and effective manner. In stead of inviting all the applicants for a face-to-face interview, the interviewers just pick up the phone to shortlist the candidates.
This innovative method of applying for a job calls for new tips on how to go about a phone job interview. Since phone interviews take up less time, you’d better be prepared in advance. Annie Stevens, a managing partner at a Boston executive coaching firm, and Paul J. Bailo, who runs an online coaching service, have both come op with some guidelines on how to deal with a phone job interview. In my opinion, some of these tips apply to almost every job interview, such as the following:
-Be enthusiastic
-Have a list of questions prepared that show you’re interested in the company as well as in the job
-Match your use of jargon and technical terms to that of the interviewer
-Don’t interrupt the interviewer
-Avoid negative words like “can't”, “haven't” and “don't”
-Make sure you have a 30-second summery of why you’re right for the job
-Ask about the next step: when can you meet the interviewer in person
-Follow up by sending an e-mail or writing a letter to thank the interviewer and remind him once again of your skills, achievements and the added value you bring to the company
-Wear business attire instead of your pyjamas: although the interviewer can’t see you during a telephone job interview, it helps to feel businesslike
-Take notes so you can refer to an interesting topic or question when you send a thank you note or email
-Don’t say “um” or “ah” but just take a little pause to show intelligence
A few other tips, on the other hand, are more or less limited to phone job interviews:
-Eat a cough drop before you call to clear your throat
-Use a land line and avoid all interruptions to prevent unwanted stress
-Try to look up a photo of your interviewer (for instance on LinkedIn or the company website) to make the interview a bit more personal
This new way of applying for a job sounds exciting as much as it is frightening, but in essence there’s not much difference with a regular job interview. The only difference (and advantage) I see is that you don’t have to worry about a bad hair day or smelly armpits.
Robin
Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/03/news/economy/phone_job_interviews.fortune/index.htm
This innovative method of applying for a job calls for new tips on how to go about a phone job interview. Since phone interviews take up less time, you’d better be prepared in advance. Annie Stevens, a managing partner at a Boston executive coaching firm, and Paul J. Bailo, who runs an online coaching service, have both come op with some guidelines on how to deal with a phone job interview. In my opinion, some of these tips apply to almost every job interview, such as the following:
-Be enthusiastic
-Have a list of questions prepared that show you’re interested in the company as well as in the job
-Match your use of jargon and technical terms to that of the interviewer
-Don’t interrupt the interviewer
-Avoid negative words like “can't”, “haven't” and “don't”
-Make sure you have a 30-second summery of why you’re right for the job
-Ask about the next step: when can you meet the interviewer in person
-Follow up by sending an e-mail or writing a letter to thank the interviewer and remind him once again of your skills, achievements and the added value you bring to the company
-Wear business attire instead of your pyjamas: although the interviewer can’t see you during a telephone job interview, it helps to feel businesslike
-Take notes so you can refer to an interesting topic or question when you send a thank you note or email
-Don’t say “um” or “ah” but just take a little pause to show intelligence
A few other tips, on the other hand, are more or less limited to phone job interviews:
-Eat a cough drop before you call to clear your throat
-Use a land line and avoid all interruptions to prevent unwanted stress
-Try to look up a photo of your interviewer (for instance on LinkedIn or the company website) to make the interview a bit more personal
This new way of applying for a job sounds exciting as much as it is frightening, but in essence there’s not much difference with a regular job interview. The only difference (and advantage) I see is that you don’t have to worry about a bad hair day or smelly armpits.
Robin
Sources:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/03/news/economy/phone_job_interviews.fortune/index.htm
zaterdag 6 februari 2010
How to protect your children?
Protection of your children is important if you conceder all the existing dangers, described in the blogs down below. A basic precaution you have to take is to install reliable internet filter software. There are some good products on the market and there are some sites you can visit to look at the possibilities. Some useful links are:
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://www.netnanny.com/alt_rotate
http://www.sofotex.com/download/Security/Parental_Control/
The first site compares several internet protection packages, this way you can make an informed decision. However, be on your guard, this site is free and could be biased. A more interesting site is netnanny.com. Why? Because it is also a blog site, this gives you the possibility to compare several opinions about this tricky subject. On the third site, you can download free internet software. It’s interesting because it’s free but I would advise you to buy an approved package, you never know what kind of bugs you can find on this software.
Bregt Timmerman
http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/
http://www.netnanny.com/alt_rotate
http://www.sofotex.com/download/Security/Parental_Control/
The first site compares several internet protection packages, this way you can make an informed decision. However, be on your guard, this site is free and could be biased. A more interesting site is netnanny.com. Why? Because it is also a blog site, this gives you the possibility to compare several opinions about this tricky subject. On the third site, you can download free internet software. It’s interesting because it’s free but I would advise you to buy an approved package, you never know what kind of bugs you can find on this software.
Bregt Timmerman
maandag 2 november 2009
Why protection of children on the internet is so important.
Children surf for many different reasons. This can depend for example on their age; we can divide children into four different categories:
1. Children aged between two and three are already introduced to the computer.
2. When they reach the age of seven, they begin to enjoy the use of internet. By that age, they begin to use online encyclopedias; they download pictures or write to pen pals.
3. Than we have the young adolescents. They use the internet in a more sophisticated way, like reading journals online and consulting archives and libraries.
4. The older adolescents, use the internet in an even more practical manner, they search information about internships, job opportunities, learning different languages and so forth.
However, parents must be aware of the fact that children put information online that can harm them. They can put their identity online, for other people – sometimes with bad intentions – to see. This makes the internet a very unsafe place for children. So beware!
It can also be interesting to know where children surf.
Mostly they surf at home, in school or in public libraries. But it can also be interesting to take into account that they can surf at a friend’s house, in internet cafés, at museums, in after – school programs, in stores where there is a wifi connection or in public areas like train stations. So we can conclude that the protection of children is not always in the hands of the parents. This is why the sites themselves must be well protected.
Bregt Timmerman
Source: http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/inter_kids.html#whykidssurf
1. Children aged between two and three are already introduced to the computer.
2. When they reach the age of seven, they begin to enjoy the use of internet. By that age, they begin to use online encyclopedias; they download pictures or write to pen pals.
3. Than we have the young adolescents. They use the internet in a more sophisticated way, like reading journals online and consulting archives and libraries.
4. The older adolescents, use the internet in an even more practical manner, they search information about internships, job opportunities, learning different languages and so forth.
However, parents must be aware of the fact that children put information online that can harm them. They can put their identity online, for other people – sometimes with bad intentions – to see. This makes the internet a very unsafe place for children. So beware!
It can also be interesting to know where children surf.
Mostly they surf at home, in school or in public libraries. But it can also be interesting to take into account that they can surf at a friend’s house, in internet cafés, at museums, in after – school programs, in stores where there is a wifi connection or in public areas like train stations. So we can conclude that the protection of children is not always in the hands of the parents. This is why the sites themselves must be well protected.
Bregt Timmerman
Source: http://www.nap.edu/netsafekids/inter_kids.html#whykidssurf
zondag 1 november 2009
The Spam King discrowned
A spammer called Sanford Wallace, also known as the Spam King, was condemned to paying Facebook 711 million dollars for hacking into members’ accounts and sending out fake wall posts and messages. Furthermore Wallace and accomplices were banned from the social network site for life. It wasn’t the first time the Spam King was found guilty on charges of sending junk messages. In 2008 MySpace also won a lawsuit against the notorious spammer. Facebook also announced that they will continue pursuing damages against other spammers. In November 2008, Facebook won another case against Atlantis Blue Capital, a business which sent Facebook users sexually explicit spam messages.
Sources:
http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=DMF20091030_054&word=facebook
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/30/technology/facebook_spammer/index.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/tech/D9BL656G0.htm
Robin
Sources:
http://www.standaard.be/artikel/detail.aspx?artikelid=DMF20091030_054&word=facebook
http://money.cnn.com/2009/10/30/technology/facebook_spammer/index.htm
http://www.businessweek.com/ap/tech/D9BL656G0.htm
zondag 11 oktober 2009
The Innocence of Children
Two weeks ago I read an article in the Belgian newspaper “De Standaard” which once again underlined the importance of protecting children on the internet. According to the article, a woman working in a nursery in Plymouth was arrested for distributing indecent images of children through the internet. The woman and two accomplices she met on Facebook have pleated guilty on the charges of child pornography and sexual abuse of children. This article reminded me that when we want to create an interactive website for kids, we have to bear in mind that children are a vulnerable target group that can easily be misled. Furthermore a recent study conducted on children’s internet use revealed that parents are concerned about the online activities of their kids. Some 53% of Belgian parents who were questioned, declared they are worried about their offspring giving out personal or private information online. Taking this into account, we must be aware that we need to protect kids online by securing children’s websites.
Robin
Sources:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20I/Conference%20Papers%20and%20abstracts/Victims%20and%20Perpetrators/Ponte.pdf
http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF01102009_032&word=facebook
Robin
Sources:
http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20I/Conference%20Papers%20and%20abstracts/Victims%20and%20Perpetrators/Ponte.pdf
http://www.standaard.be/Artikel/Detail.aspx?artikelId=DMF01102009_032&word=facebook
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