Picking a Platform

After not knowing too much about CMS platforms, I decided to research three platforms and compare and contrast their capabilities.  The three platforms that I researched were WordPress, TextPattern, and Blogger.  Other than WordPress, I have no experience with any other platforms.

WordPress is the world’s leading blogging platform.  It attracts 330 million visitors who view 3.4 billion pages every month (http://www.forbes.com/sites/jjcolao/2012/09/05/the-internets-mother-tongue/).  I think that this platform is ideal for college students who have never created a blog.  Topics are unlimited and users are able to read millions of blogs using the same platform.

TextPattern is not as widespread as WordPress.  According to http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-popular-content-management-systems-online/, TextPattern is a minimalist platform that is fast, powerful and provides plenty of options.  Although there is a small learning curve for new users, once you get past that, it is very easy to navigate.  If you are considering transferring content form another CMS, TextPattern is equipped with import tools that allow this.  This platform also features an anti-spam system that allows users to block unwanted comments.

             

I do not recommend this site for college students.  I think that they will give up on the platform during the learning process.  I also do not think that users of this platform will blog about topics that college students are interested in.

            

Another CMS critic, http://www.cmscritic.com/textpattern-review/, finds that textile for article writing is more intuitive and produces a cleaner content.

            

The last CMS platform that I researched was Google’s Blogger.  According to http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2081842,00.asp, Blogger is free and very easy to use.  If you do decide to purchase your own site using this platform, it will cost $10 a year.  This is the cheapest price compared to other platforms.

            

I think that this platform will also be useful to college students because it does not require much knowledge about hosting a website or coding HTML.  

Pick a Path, Any Path

I want to pursue a career in the Advertising industry. I am interested in the creative aspects of the business. I enjoy coming up with slogans and ideas for advertisements. I have some experience in Adobe PhotoShop that has allowed me to create different print advertisements. I have also created ads using Adobe InDesign. I plan to sharpen my skills in PhotoShop, InDesign and Illustrator before I graduate.

I like the fast pace competition that goes into meeting deadlines and coming up with the perfect ideas for campaigns. I also enjoy working alongside others and bouncing ideas off of one another. It really amazes me how campaigns can reach out and touch so many people. Advertising is all about taking risks and shocking and grabbing the audience’s attention. I want to work on campaigns that will impact my audience. In ten years, I want people to remember my ad and still enjoy its creativity.

Sweep Up Your Social Media

Social media is on the rise and it is following us everywhere we go. One place we might not want it to follow us is into the work place. But it does and you are now forewarned. When hiring, companies will try to look at your Facebook page, Twitter account, and your LinkedIn. If they don’t like what they see then kiss your chances of being hired goodbye.

It is very important for college students to clean up or bury their social media accounts if they have any intentions on landing a job after college. Go back through your timelines and delete obscene and embarrassing content. The less you share about your personal lives, the better off you are.

I already removed my full name from my personal Twitter account so that it is not linked to me when my name is googled. In turn, I created a separate “corporate” account that displays my full name. I monitor my content and solely use it for “business.”

I would never want my potential boss to view my Facebook page. Recently, I changed the settings to private and I have limited what can be seen by whom. I am going to change my name on Facebook so that I am not linked to it outside of my friends.

I enjoy using social media socially. A lot of what I post is intended for my friends and followers, not the business world. I can continue using social media the way I want to, I just must make sure that my real name is not associated with my accounts. I now create two accounts, business and pleasure.