Do you want to know what’s really happening throughout East and South East Orlando? Would you like to be informed when something is going on in your neighborhood? Insight Magazine is taking the next step in social media integration with their Insight Street Tweet Team on popular social media Web site, Twitter. The magazine is taking to the streets to deliver local news in real time to residents who subscribe to their respective neighborhoods. Spots are still available on the Street Tweet Teams.
Twitter will allow residents who sign up to receive instant updates on their neighborhoods thanks to a new initiative by Insight Magazine.
“The idea is to make news available to residents wherever they are,” says Jennifer Thompson, co-publisher of Insight Magazine. “Residents need to be informed when there is a community meeting, upcoming event or late-breaking news in their neighborhood.” The service, debuting this month, is free to residents and will be updated by the magazine staff until enough Street Tweet Team members join to take over the service. “The Street Tweet Team is something that will constantly be evolving,” says Thompson. “After all, no one knows what’s going on in their neighborhood more than the people who live there. We will be looking for bloggers and Tweeters to help grow the service and make it a valuable tool to those who want to stay informed and connect their communities on a new level.”
Twitter was chosen for its instant update capabilities and ease of use, both for those updating and the residents who are following their neighborhood. Updates are planned to go out as needed providing relevant facts to followers. “The last thing we want with this kind of service is to ’spam’ followers,” says David Mullins, co-publisher of Insight Magazine. “We will provide them with topics of interest, observations and even occasional photos.”
Some neighborhoods planned for the initial launch include: Waterford Lakes, Vista Lakes, Lake Nona, Avalon Park and Cypress Springs. These are by no means the entire list, however. “We’re launching the service with about eight neighborhoods and will continue to add more as the desire and need from residents continues to grow,” says Thompson.
Article by Corey Gehrold
Sign Up to Receive Updates Instantly for Your Neighborhood Now:
- Andover Lakes
- Avalon Park
- Cypress Springs
- Eastwood
- Lake Nona
- Stoneybrook
- Vista Lakes
- Waterford Lakes
Join the Insight Street Tweet Team
Want to Tweet about your neighborhood? Updates, news, pictures and more. E-mail Jennifer Thompson to learn more.
Do you want to know what’s really happening throughout East and South East Orlando? Would you like to be informed when something is going on in your neighborhood? Insight Magazine is taking the next step in social media integration with their Insight Street Tweet Team on popular social media Web site, Twitter. The magazine is taking to the streets to deliver local news in real time to residents who subscribe to their respective neighborhoods starting this July.
Twitter will allow residents who sign up to receive instant updates on their neighborhoods thanks to a new initiative by Insight Magazine.
“The idea is to make news available to residents wherever they are,” says Jennifer Thompson, co-publisher of Insight Magazine. “Residents need to be informed when there is a community meeting, upcoming event or late-breaking news in their neighborhood.” The service, debuting this month, is free to residents and will be updated by the magazine staff until enough Street Tweet Team members join to take over the service. “The Street Tweet Team is something that will constantly be evolving,” says Thompson. “After all, no one knows what’s going on in their neighborhood more than the people who live there. We will be looking for bloggers and Tweeters to help grow the service and make it a valuable tool to those who want to stay informed and connect their communities on a new level.”
Twitter was chosen for its instant update capabilities and ease of use, both for those updating and the residents who are following their neighborhood. Updates are planned to go out as needed providing relevant facts to followers. “The last thing we want with this kind of service is to ’spam’ followers,” says David Mullins, co-publisher of Insight Magazine. “We will provide them with topics of interest, observations and even occasional photos.”
Some neighborhoods planned for the initial launch include: Waterford Lakes, Vista Lakes, Lake Nona, Avalon Park and Cypress Springs. These are by no means the entire list, however. “We’re launching the service with about eight neighborhoods and will continue to add more as the desire and need from residents continues to grow,” says Thompson.
Article by Corey Gehrold
Sign Up to Receive Updates Instantly for Your Neighborhood Now:
- Andover Lakes
- Avalon Park
- Cypress Springs
- Eastwood
- Lake Nona
- Stoneybrook
- Vista Lakes
- Waterford Lakes
Join the Insight Street Tweet Team
Want to Tweet about your neighborhood? Updates, news, pictures and more. E-mail Jennifer Thompson to learn more.
It has never been easier than it is today to have a personal online presence. Web sites like MySpace, Facebook, blogs and all sorts of other social sites allow anyone to easily share and publish anything online. People are uploading videos to YouTube.com, sharing photos on Flickr.com and finding interesting news on Digg.com.
Consider going online and joining a community of like-minded people if you haven’t done so already. It can be a lot of fun and, honestly, quite rewarding. You can connect with your friends both locally and long distance. I’ve found that being online has not only strengthened local friendships, but I’ve also been able to reconnect with old friends, stay in touch with out of town family and have even made some good friends with people I’ve “met” online.
However, when you venture online there are a few things you should keep in mind.
Do find one website community that you’d like to join and sign up. It’s usually free and easy to do. The decision of which one to join should be based on where your friends are or what you want to do. For instance, Facebook.com is great for connecting with friends whereasLinkedin.com is better for professional networking.
Don’t sign up for every social website or blog right away. You’ll end up spreading yourself too thin. Pick one or two and start there.
Do tell others a bit about yourself. Most sites give you an area to fill out a personal profile. Feel free to tell readers what some of your interests, hobbies and biographical information are. It is, afterall, about being social and visitors to your page will want to get to know you.
Don’t tell them everything about yourself. There are some things that should stay offline! Ask yourself what you believe should be protected because not everyone has the same answer. Use discretion when deciding to publish contact information like your e-mail, phone number and home address.
Do upload a nice photo of yourself so your friends can recognize you.
Don’t use a photo that is potentially offensive or unprofessional because you never know who is looking at your profile.
Do add value to your profile by uploading or sharing things that are interesting. Communicating virtually can actually be quite real. Social media sites are about having online conversations - so participate in them when you can.
Don’t post just anything online. Remember that if it is on the Internet, anyone can find it even if it is password protected. You wouldn’t want a perspective employer to see all the skeletons in your closet before an interview! Some have found it helpful to use a measuring stick before publishing anything such as, “Would it be okay if my kids, spouse or parents saw this?”
This holiday, give yourself the gift of an online presence and reconnect with friends locally and around the world. Reach out and meet new and interesting people on the Internet in the new year. It can be fun, rewarding and even productive! Remember to be yourself but use discretion. Just like in your offline practices, stay merry and professional and you’ll go a long way!
Article by Rob Williams
It’s official, text messaging isn’t just for teens and college students anymore. A recent mobile market report found 50% of text users are aged 35 or older. No surprise, it also reported 75% are aged 25 and up. Verizon Wireless was recently the first American carrier to report the average SMS (Short Message Service) text messages sent by its subscriber base had passed one SMS sent per phone subscriber per day.
“There are more than 255 million mobile phone users in the U.S. alone,” says Scott Meyer, senior partner of MyTxtConnect, a local Orlando text-based marketing company. “That’s roughly 85% of the population, and almost all of them have a phone with SMS capability.” As for the rest of the world, cell phone subscriptions have reached a record 3.3 billion, according to Reuters newswire. “Worldwide, about 84% of cell phone users text, at least occasionally,” says Meyer.
Back home, the texting phenomenon has taken American adults by storm, with many utilizing SMS-based texting technology for both business and pleasure. “It’s just an easy way to communicate with someone without having to pick up the phone,” says Mandy Taylor, marketing manager for Florida Hospital East Orlando. “The phone is moving in a direction where you can get an immediate response with anyone using text messages,” she adds. Taylor says she texts when a response is needed immediately, because the response time is so much shorter than e-mail.
The trend is even being utilized by presidential candidates in the upcoming election. In August, it was announced that the Obama campaign would broadcast his choice for a Vice Presidential running mate via text message to supporters who sign up to receive updates.
According to Meyer, SMS messages are read by 94% of their recipients, one reason the technology is so appealing to business professionals. Because of this, savvy businesses are moving to text marketing instead of standard email campaigns, because message deliverance is so much stronger. Meyer has worked with Simon Properties’ Waterford Lakes Town Center, regional Hooter’s restaurants, Lake Nona Super Suppers, WLOQ, US Hero’s Sub Shop, and Daily Grind Coffee. Companies can use text-based promotional offers, coupons, or enter-to-win campaigns to reach adult consumers.
“I go over 1,500 texts a month,” says Kelli Belfatto, team recruitment chair for the 2008 Making Strides Against Breast Cancer of Metro Orlando event. “I’ve actually had my Blackberry wiped out because it was overloaded with texts.” Belfatto says that texting is more convenient sometimes than a phone call, one reason she uses them so often. She says, “If you’re in a very loud place and there is no way for them to hear you, a text is perfect.”
Marisa Fischbein, an East Orlando stay at home mom, texts because it’s easier than being on the phone as well. “Sometimes I just don’t have the time to get in touch with every person I need to on the phone,” she says. “I can send out a text to each of them and avoid the phone entirely. It’s just easier than getting into a long conversation.”
Fischbein stresses that text messaging is useful, handy and very practical in her day-to-day life. “It’s a feature that anyone can use and it usually takes about two minutes to find out what I need to know, instead of 15 or 20 on the phone.”
Text messaging is rapidly becoming a mainstream form of communication for many adults in East Orlando and around the world. “But be careful because it’s addicting,” warns Belfatto. Just ask her Blackberry.
Fun Text Abbreviations
LOL – Laugh Out Loud
J/K – Just Kidding
BBFN – Bye Bye For Now
IMO – In My Opinion
CUL – See You Later
THX – Thanks
W/E – Whatever
ILY – I Love You
L8R – Later
QT – Cutie
@TEOTD - At the end of the day
LVM - Left voice mail
MTFBWU - May the force be with you
BBIAM - Be back in a minute
DYNWUTB - Do you know what you are talking about?
EAK - Eating at keyboard
G2CU - Good to see you
IG2R - I’ve got to run
ZUP - What’s up?
Article by Corey Gehrold
Opportunities in Information Technology (IT) continue to grow here in East Orlando. With businesses that already call Orlando home as well as those moving into the area, technology is playing a major role in how business is conducted. Today Orlando hosts a $13.4 billion technology industry that employs close to 53,000 people. Some of the leading segments include digital media; optics and photonics; modeling, simulation and training; aviation/aerospace; homeland security/defense; and information technology.
In addition, the Burnham Institute is projected to create 300 research jobs, the University of Central Florida’s (UCF) Medical School will require technology support, and there is still a $2.5 billion industry for the procurement of military products and services in Central Florida. The demands are greater than ever before for qualified people with an education in technology services and organizations such as the Central Florida Research and Technology Park, Central Florida Innovation Corporation, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council have been created to work with industry leaders to foster continued growth.
There are a variety of roles for professionals interested in the technology field and, fortunately for Orange County residents, there are plenty of good technology schools to choose from. Schools like the UCF’s Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, which is one of the top three optics centers in the country. UCF provides more undergraduate and graduate diplomas in computer science than any other state university in Florida. With over 47,000 students, UCF is now the sixth largest university in the U.S. and it is also home to one of the top Tech Incubators in the nation and boasts more than $103 million in annual research dollars.
Additionally, community colleges in the region work with UCF and industry professionals to develop valuable technology courses, and several high schools offer magnet programs to attract students to the field at a young age. In fact, to address the national need for increased emphasis on integrating technology into the K-12 curriculum, the National Academy Foundation has established a rigorous network of Academy of Information Technology (AoIT) programs in our nation’s high schools. In Orange County, the AoITs operate as schools-within-schools at the following high schools: Apopka, Boone, Colonial, Cypress Creek, Timber Creek, University and Winter Park.
Other technology schools in Orlando include DeVry University, which provides a personalized learning setting. DeVry’s labs are equipped with computers and other instrumentation appropriate to the study of required software, networking and telecommunications, electronics, physics, and game and simulation technologies. DeVry offers a variety of degrees including bachelor’s programs in Computer Information Systems, Electronics Engineering Technology, Network and Communications Management, Game and Simulation Programming, and Technical Management.
The ITT Technical Institute prepares students for career opportunities in a variety of entry-level positions in various fields involving electronics engineering technology and communication systems. ITT programs begin by building a foundation in electronic circuitry and communications engineering technology through the study of subjects such as circuit analysis, circuit design, and data and network communications.
Some schools, such as the Florida Institute of Technology deliver evening, graduate-level degree programs. Classes are offered at Baldwin Executive Park as well as on-site at Lockheed Martin Electronic and Missiles Group facilities. This classroom environment provides a unique opportunity for an exchange of ideas and viewpoints among representatives from academia, industry, and U.S. military.
Much of Orlando’s technological know-how goes into our entertainment venues and tourism industries. To provide for the needs of these industries the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy offers a full master’s degree in game development, and Full Sail Real World Education, a Premier Media Arts College, has been encouraging the union of art and technology for the past 27 years.
Article by Johnny Duncan
