Two websites I visit frequently: 

The US Patent and Trademark Office:  http://www.uspto.gov/index.jsp 

Starbucks:  http://www.starbucks.com/

 

 

I am on the USPTO site most times due to work.  But besides electronic filing of applications, responses, check fees, get updated forms and such, I go to the Home page to see what news the patent office is putting out and also to see what other news there is in this field.  They have a great section for inventors and a fun kids' page (but I don't get to play much).   Besides the US Patent Office site, I also am on the European site, the World Intellectual Property Office site and other countries' sites.  

 

I go to the Starbucks' site primarily to reload the Starbucks cards.  All members of my family have cards and they are all regisstered under one name, thus, we are able to earn the rewards faster that way.  This works out really well with our college kids - they text me and I reload their cards (especially during finals week).  I can reload the cards when we are overseas too.

 

Why are they effective?   -  The USPTO site is effective because I can find the information I need - there are individual pages for patents, trademarks, etc.  

The Starbucks site is easy to manuever around. and find what you want.    

What specific principles of good design do they include and why?  - The USPTO site is very concise and uses point and click to get to other information.   It has 3 columns (after the header), one is useful informational links, another lists popular links and government sources and the third is patent office news.  The Patent Office site is visually appealing in its set up and the colors used. The left column resembles tabs, with the information data and a corresponding icon, the middle column is just typed links and the third column is the standard news blurb identification.    

The Starbucks site, after you log in, shows all the cards registered to my account which I can update as necessary and reload from that page.  Along the top there are drop-down menus for other information you might be interested in (e.g. music) and information about the company including corporate responsibility.  Starbucks limits it colors to green and black on a white background.  They may also include photographs that relate to the specific information you are looking at.  

            What makes you come back again?   -  The USPTO site I go back to all the time due to my job and to keep up with any new laws and information.  I need to keep up with the information for inventors, as I end up speaking with them fairly often and they want to know why they are required to do certain things and how do they protect their ideas.  
             For Starbucks I normally go on to the site to reload someone's card, but sometimes I check to see if we have any rewards, to find out the nutritional information on various drinks and food and to check out new offerings. 
 
            What could be improved?  -  The USPTO site can sometimes be confusing due to too much information on the page.  They change and update their site fairly often so that sometimes when you get there, the information you are looking for isn't in the same place anymore.  For a government site, I actually find it rather easy to manuever through. 
              On the Starbuck's site the drop downs are white lettering on black background - the font is a little small for me to read sometimes even with my glasses!

Apple.com and Tectorch.com

http://apple.com

I chose Apple because I formerly worked on their intellectual property starting when the company began into the early 1990’s, so I have a “soft spot” for them.  The website was most likely aimed to appeal to a younger customer (Generation Y and Generation Z – 1980’s through the 2000’s), but it was a bit overpowering and somewhat irritating for me (I’m in my 50’s and at the end of what’s known as the Baby Boomer generation).  Apple’s logo is very well known throughout the world.  I have seen Apple stores in England, Australia, Switzerland, Thailand, Japan, and Hong Kong and they have always been very protective of their name, logo and branding.   

Potential Problems: 

1)      Horizontally scrolling pages in tan (iPHone 5s); white (iOS7 & iTunes Radio): black (September Event 2013); bright blue (iPhone 5c); and yellow, bright blue, bright green, or hot pink (iPhone 5c) – they may not seem that fast, but I found it somewhat irritating that they did not show up in the same order, so if you missed it the first time through you might not catch it the second time.  Also, the color for the iPhone 5c kept changing-I first saw it as bright green, so I waited for bright green to come around again before I realized the iPhone 5C was now another color. 

2)      Each page had “Watch the Keynote”, “Watch the video” and/or “Learn More” which meant scrolling and clicking to whichever one you wanted.  If I wanted to watch the keynote address, why wasn’t it on the side or the bottom, or only on the screen with the new CEO’s photo (Tim Cook).  Also, it took a very long time for the Keynote to come up.

3)      The phrases “Watch the Keynote”, “Watch the video” and/or “Learn More” were at different places on each window.  Sometimes they were under the phone photos, but above the iOS7; off to the side of iTunes radio and at the bottom of the CEO’s photo page.  It would have been nice if they were all in the same place on each slide.

 

Things I did like:

1)      It was very colorful and the photos were clear and sharp

2)      The one thing that didn’t change, was underneath each link was in blue font color with other wording in a dark grey: 

a.      Shop the Apple Online Store (1-800-MY-APPLE), visit an Apple Retail Store, or find a reseller

b.      Site Map

c.      Hot News

d.      RSS Feeds

e.      Media Info

f.       Environment

g.      Job Opportunities

h.      Contact US

i.       Globe shaped American flag

3)      At the very bottom was “Copyright © 2013 Apple Inc. All rights reserved” and links for the “Terms of Use” and “Privacy Policy”

4)      The Copyright Notice

 

http://tectorch.com/

I chose TEC Welding Products, Inc. because my father was a welder and I am a little bit familiar with welding products.  In the company history, they list some of their innovative features, lists the many brands they offer and are sold worldwide.  They list a number of the trademarked names they have for the products they offer, which means they protect their brandnames. 

Potential problems: 

1)      The company history, although brief, was in a very small font

2)      Although I liked the waving American flag in the upper left corner, I was “catch it” in my peripheral vision so I found it distracting

3)      I think it might have been better to put the photos of their Featured Products on a separate page as being on the same page as the rest of it, I found it a little busy/cramped for my tastes.

Things I liked: 

1)      There was a photo of their production facility in San Diego.

2)      All the links were in a column off to the side.

3)      It was easy on the eyes.

4)      How “See what actual welders say about WeldTec TIG torches …” and Featured Producets were delineated on the screen

5)      The use of only a few colors for the fonts:  black, red and blue

6)      The equipment photos were very crisp and clean.

7)      They also had their Copyright Notice at the bottom.

Social Media URLs used by various businesses

For the social media sites used by various companies, three corporations:  QUALCOMM Incorporated (my employer), Comic Con International and Starbucks, one educational institution:  Gemological Institute of America, and one government entity:  the US Patent and Trademark Office. 

Qualcomm Incorporated

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/qualcomm

Twitter - https://twitter.com/qualcomm

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/qualcomm

LinkedIn - http://www.linkedin.com/company/qualcomm

Flicker - http://www.flickr.com/photos/qualcomm

Blog - http://www.qualcomm.com/media/blog; http://www.qualcomm.com/snapdragon/blog; https://developer.qualcomm.com/blogs

RSS feeds - http://www.qualcomm.com/media/rss

 

Gemological Institute of America

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gemological-Institute-of-America/112691042076901

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/channel/HCmJkolFP4PtI

Pinterest - http://www.pinterest.com/giapins/

Foursquare - https://foursquare.com/v/gia-gemological-institute-of-america/4bca8ec4b6c49c7486e09091

 

Comic Con International

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/comiccon

Twitter – https://twitter.com/comic_con

RSS - http://www.comic-con.org/rss

YouTube  - http://www.youtube.com/user/ComicCon

ISSUU - http://issuu.com/comic-con

 

US Patent and Trademark Office

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/uspto.gov

Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/uspto

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/USPTOvideo

 

Starbucks

Twitter - https://twitter.com/starbucks/

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Starbucks

YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/starbucks

Force - http://mystarbucksidea.force.com/

 

Have you ever experienced  difficulty communicating with a business? Would social media have made it easier to get noticed or get your problem solved? If not, have you ever had a positive experience communicating with a business through social media?

One of the biggest issues we ever had with a company was with Cox Communications (our cable and internet provider).  A few years back, the telephone poles were being replaced and put farther in from the roadway.  Cox had to come in and they replaced and rehung all the cable lines.  From the day the pole outside our house was moved our services were horrible.  We called and spoke with their technical people for over a year, each time explaining what happened and they kept coming back stating that it had to be the wiring in our house.  We explained we had had all the cable wiring and connections replaced with “top of the line” products because we thought maybe age played a factor in the horrible cable service and internet connection.  Their response was that they showed a strong signal was being sent.  After more than a year of “arguing” with them (and I also filed a complaint with the FCC), I agreed to take time off work and meet a cable technician.  He showed up at our home, and decided to climb the pole and look at the connection there.  He discovered that the connection box had been crushed and so thus our connections were damaged, and, the weather had taken its toll on the components.  Once he replaced that, we had very good reception and for the most part internet service.  It should not have taken more than a year of phone calls, my taking the cable box into Cox and replacing it, and finally contacting the FCC for them to finally take into consideration my issues. 

Would social media have made a difference?  Definitely!  I have since posted on a customer site about issues with Cox, and I immediately received an email, followed up with a phone call!  Our replacement cable box for some reason decided we need parental controls set, even though no one in our house is under 21 except for our pets.  We had contacted the technical support a few times and they had upgraded and re-booted the software while on the phone, but it still did not correct the issue. It has come down to us now having to take this box in and obtain another new one.  Only this time I am requesting a new box and not a refurbished box (we did not know it was refurbished at the time Cox gave it to us).

Social Media programs and 7th graders-oh no!!!!

This doesn't really have to do with Week 2's homework, but I found this rather interesting.  One night a week I teach middle school students and tonight was the first class for this year.  So I introduce myself to my 25 students as "Ms. Cindy" and give them some background about myself and we talked about a few things before actually getting into the lesson I was to cover.  I mentioned I will be visiting Vietnam in October for part business/part vacation.  They wanted to know if I had Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and a couple of other social media programs I had not heard of.  They wanted to be able to "follow" me and see photos I take and read about what I was doing/seeing in Vietnam.  Instagram was the most popular one mentioned.  So I may have to set up an Instagram account (if I can figure out how and learn how one uses it).  Or maybe a separate Facebook account for my students to access.  I don't know what would be best, as I would like to keep it limited to my students and possibly use it each year as a way to reach them-both past and present students (every year I get a new class of 7th graders).  So I am willing to take any suggestions.  I figure it would be a good way to post stuff between classes, remind them to bring their textbooks to the next class and about any homework due, maybe post little sayings and such, etc. 

Social Media platforms-personal/business

There are numerous types of social media. Some of the forms include websites, internet forums, blogs, wikis, Facebook, YouTube along with the traditional forms of magazines, television and radio. When it comes to electronic formats you have those available via your laptop, computer or notepad and those via your Smart Phone.

For business, Facebook works for ads, and if you "Like" a particular item or company, then that company will create posts to your Facebook page.  I have liked particular authors on Facebook and thus I get advanced notice of new books (so I can pre-order).  My understanding is that some businesses use blogs, but I would think if you did not know about their products, would you have a reason to go looking for that blog.  I don't understand Twitter, but I do understand that some business use that to promote new items or sales and the like.  Stores that you frequent many times will ask you if you care to share your email address, with that they can send emails which may inform the consumer about sales, send coupons, or special deals only available on line (e.g. Michaels, Jo-Anns, Fresh & Easy are some I receive coupons on my Smart Phone).  I am on email lists for various microbreweries both in San Diego and other areas in California.  Thus, I get advanced notice of when new releases of certain beers/ales are being released in bottle or being put on tap at certain brewpubs.  Of course, with emails you need to opt-in or opt-out.  Youtube is also good for advertising new products but a business would need to figure out some way to get the link out to the public.  Qualcomm has used this method for advertising new products such as our Snapdragon chip.  They also used a movie "trailer" at the theaters to get the word out about our Snapdragon chip [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9iUZsVgZ30] - A Dragon Is Coming - Qualcomm Snapdragon 800; and is currently can be  seen on ESPN.  Another is RSS feeds which can be used, but again I believe a person has to sign up to receive these.  Websites are also good for businesses, but you must figure out how to get customers and potential customers to visit your website. 

There are the traditional methods businesses can be use to advertise:  newspapers, magazines, television, radio, direct mail advertising or hang tags.  There is also product placement in television and movies that can be used as a way to get your company's name out to the public.

Facebook is also good for personal use.  It is how I keep in contact with far-flung family members and friends.  You can post to your page or a friend's page at any time of the day or night and if they are in another time zone, you aren't waking them up or interrupting them (as you would with a phone call).  Emails are the same - a good, fast way to communicate with family, friends and businesses without having to worry about time zones.  Youtube has been good to research how to do things if you don't know how, or need additional ideas on how to complete something, such as plumbing problems, tutoring for various classes, makeup techniques and how-tos.  You can follow people on Twitter and they can follow you but you are limited to the size of your message (140 characters I believe).  I receive RSS feeds from various news agencies and from Comic Con.

Instagram is used by many people to personally post photos, and it is possible that businesses might be able to use it to advertise new products.  Again, though, you must build a following. 

Thus, if you plan to use social media for your business, then you need to come up with a plan to get the internet traffic and thus a following, to make your business a success. 

CSIT 155 first post

Write a few paragraphs to explain why you chose the template that you did.

With the help of my boss, I set up my very first blog site and actually posted one item prior to this which includes a photo from my trip to Thailand in June/July 2012.  He wanted to show me how one posts photos, make edits and such.  He has a site called "Wayward Hawaiian" that I look at periodically.  I've never commented on his photos or answered his posted questions, because I didn't know how. 

After I posted the first blog, we then went back and played with various templates until we found one that I felt showed the photo well and I thought was easier to read (white lettering on black is easier for me to read).  I really liked one template they had under "Travel" as it showed the photo well, but I found the background designs (a wall with picture frames and a old type phone) distracting when trying to read what I posted.  Thus I chose another dark background.  I have a feeling though that I may change the background later until I find one I really like or find out how to create one. 

Since I am travelling to Vietnam in October, I may be posting items/photos from there. 

Cindy's first post

This is my first post!  I've never done this before or commented on any blog either.  This blog site was created for a class I am taking at MiraCosta College, but I will also use it for various trips I take both domestically and internationally.  The photo below is from our trip to Hong Kong and Thailand in June/July of 2012. 

Here's a photo we took in the old capital of Thailand (Wat Maha That Ayutthaya).  There was a lot of damage from the floods and they were in the process of repairing the most damaged so that it would not collapse and thus injure visitors.  Here are a few other photos from Ayutthaya: 

This ancient capital city was destroyed in a war with the Burmese.

Due to the flooding, one side started tilting. 

Buddha's head in the roots of the Banyan tree (a very famous site).