Social Media Yet to Replace Emails Among Teenagers, Says Survey

Despite the emergence of new social media tools and various online ways to connect with people, members of the young generation are still hooked to emails and keep checking it round-the-clock no matter where they are or what they are doing, a new survey has revealed.

According to the campaign team at global software company Adobe, millennials (those born after 1980) are more frequent users of email than any other age group.

"Millennials are more likely to check work email outside of normal work hours. One-third are comfortable using emojis to communicate with a direct manager or senior executive," wrote Kristin Naragon, director of email solutions at Adobe in a blog post on Wednesday.

The Adobe team surveyed more than 400 US-based workers, 18 and older, about their use of email.

The findings challenge conventional views of email as a tired, over-saturated medium for engaging consumers.

The team found that people are practically addicted to email. "In fact, more than half of millennials check email from the bathroom," the survey revealed.

On average, survey respondents report using email six hours a day, or over 30 hours a week.

Nine of 10 respondents say they check personal email at work and work email from home.

More than one-third report having multiple personal accounts.

"Thirty-five percent say they prefer communicating with colleagues via email, putting it on par with face-to-face collaboration," Naragon noted.

Outside of work, Americans most commonly check their email while watching TV (70 percent), from bed (52 percent), on vacation (50 percent), while on the phone (43 percent), from the bathroom (42 percent) and even - most dangerously - while driving (18 percent).

Although people are using email more than ever, many also experience email fatigue.

Twenty-four percent of respondents believe they check email "way too much".

Thirty-four percent report having had to create a new email address due to an overwhelming amount of spam.

 

"Most tellingly, four out of 10 report going on self-imposed 'email detox' programmes, avoiding their inboxes for an average of five days," the findings showed.

The results suggest that marketers should re-invest in email as part of a coordinated cross-channel strategy.

"With the right planning, the right tools and the right understanding of their customers, marketers can overcome the love-hate relationship and make email the most powerful part of their campaign," the blog suggested.

 

Source | http://www.ndtv.com/offbeat/social-media-yet-to-replace-e-mails-among-teenagers-survey-1211592

 

Social media, if used rightly, can create opportunities for a global-playing field

The concept of learning and acquiring degrees invariably throws up images of classrooms, blackboards, buildings, books, etc. Physical classrooms and books still exist, but it’s becoming tough to point out if technology is a learning aid or rightly the new and a more effective way to learn. The reach and ease of using technology is changing the way learners want to learn—virtual classes, forum for peer learning and even learning on-the-go through smartphones.

One of the biggest contributions of technology to this field is its ability to make high-quality education accessible to anyone with internet connectivity. The internet has facilitated education to such a great extent that distance learning or online degrees are accessible for students across multiple disciplines—right from art history to clinical psychology—enabling students to learn at their pace and plan schedules based on what works for each.

Most successful online programmes offer students a complete package of video lessons, assignments and assessments that take away the stress of rigid schedules and offer the freedom of flexible learning and the convenience of going through one module multiple times with the video lessons playback. Most of these programmes also offer forums for posting questions, exchanging notes and learning through peers, making for effective learning and engagement. Combine this with live doubt-clearing sessions wherein the faculty is available online to answer students’ queries and you have everything that a classroom offers with unimaginable freedom and possibilities. With smartphones available at a pocket-friendly price, education is literally in your pocket.

Towrads this end, global campuses have opened opportunities for students who check out universities through virtual tours, video-conferencing with faculty or admissions directors interacting with senior students through LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, etc. They can even follow their favourite professors or alumni on Twitter.

With the changing pace of technology, it seems that shifting gears from computer screens to mobile screens is here to stay. Customised education by educational institutions and ready adaptability by students is changing the paradigm of learning. From recording attendance to assisting with course work, today there is an app for everything. The impact isn’t limited to educational apps. Crowdsourcing is another interesting way of finding solutions to academic queries.

It is important to note that, by moving education out of a classroom and into the virtual world, the one-size-fits-all phenomenon is being replaced by individualised outcomes. The teacher moves from the role of a lecturer to that of a guide. Learning becomes a shared responsibility and students have a say about the way they wish to learn.

Social media becomes the mainstay throughout a student’s and a professional’s life. How does one search for jobs? Let’s start with networking sites such as Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook. Job portals such as Monster, Naukri and Shine give access to employment opportunities beyond one’s physical reach. There are multiple options; for example web albums, blogs to video resumes that add a three-dimensional effect and reach a global audience.

Let us not forget that the internet is a relatively new development. In 15 years, we’ve progressed from emails to social media platforms. The potential is tremendous. It can open newer vistas and create more opportunities for a global-playing field.

The author is senior vice-president, Marketing, TalentSprint

Source | Financial Express | 6 July 2015

Paper books vs. e-books : Which is the victor?

These days, delving into a new book doesn’t necessarily accompany the turning of pages.

 

Advancing technology has Americans swiping their fingers across tablets to read the next page of their e-book. Although the popularity of e-book readers such as Kindles, iPads, Nooks and even cell phones is rising, readers and novelists shouldn’t worry about the extinction of traditional paper books anytime soon.

 

A 2014 January polling by Pew Research Center (pewresearch.org) indicates that the proportion of Americans reading e-books is growing, but few have completely replaced print books for electronic versions. The survey consisted of 1,005 American adults ages 18 and older. 

 

Out of the 76 percent of those who had read a book in the past year, almost seven in 10 read a physical book, while 28 percent read an e-book. Pew’s study found that those using e-books used them to supplement, not replace, printed books.

 

Library of Graham Director Sherrie Gibson said that e-books were implemented into the library about three years ago when they joined a consortium with 29 libraries through an e-book program called Overdrive. Through the free Overdrive app, e-books can be checked out by selecting a respective library from the consortium list and downloading them onto a tablet, phone or e-book reader. The Library of Graham is provided this service through Friends of the Library, which pays $3,000 per year into the consortium. 

 

Readers must still carry a library card to check out and download e-books, and as of June 2, the Library of Graham has registered 7,955 library card carriers in and around Young County. Just like a paper book, the e-book may only be checked out for a limited time, after which it must be re-checked out or put on a waiting list. 

 

With the purchase and knowledge of e-book readers on the rise, the implementation of e-books has not substantially affected Graham’s library. For the month of May 2014, only 314 of its library card carriers checked out e-books, while 4,699 checked out paper books from the library. 

 

Since the Library of Graham brought e-books to its inventory three years ago, Gibson said members have checked out a total of 8,502 e-books and 199,678 paper books. Though the difference is substantial, Gibson said that e-book check-out rates have been increasing.

 

Source | http://www.grahamleader.com/lifestyles/ci_25885799/paper-books-vs-e-books-which-is-victor

How does one create excellence in an organisation?

First, we create an obsession with excellence. We must dream of it not only because it delivers better results but because we truly believe in it and find it intrinsically satisfying to us.

We must think of excellence not only with our mind but also with our heart and soul. Let us look outside, at the global standards of excellence in quality, cost and delivery and let us not rest till we surpass them.

Second, we need to build a collective self-confidence. Organisations and people who pursue excellence are self-confident. This is because excellence requires tremendous faith in one's ability to do more and in a better way. Unless, we believe we can do better, we cannot.

Third, we must understand the difference between perfection for its own sake and excellence. Time is of essence. Globalisation has made the customer only more impatient. This may seem like a paradox: should we aim for excellence or should we aim for speed?

Excellence is about doing the best we can and speed lies in doing it quickly. These two concepts are not opposed to each other; in fact, speed and timeliness are important elements of quality and excellence.

Fourth, we must realise that we cannot be the best in everything we do. We must define what we are or would like to be best at and what someone else can do better.

Excellence is no longer about being the best in India [ Images ]. It is about being the best in the world. We have to define what our own core competencies are and what we can outsource to other leaders. Headaches shared are headaches divided.

Fifth, we must create processes that enable excellence. Today, there are a number of global methods and processes available whether it is Six Sigma, CMM or ISO. Use them because they are based on distilled wisdom collected from the best companies in the world.

Also, we must build a strong foundation of information technology, because in this complex, dynamic world, it is imperative that we use the most modern tools to keep processes updated.

Sixth, we must create a culture of teaming. I have found that while great individuals are important, one cannot have pockets of excellence. Quality gives ample opportunities to build a culture of teaming. Cross-functional teams that are customer facing can cut through an amazing amount of bureaucracy, personal empire building and silos and deliver savings that one would not have imagined possible.

The other advantage of building teams focussed on quality is that the teaming culture eventually spreads to the rest of the organisation and teaming becomes a way of life.

Seventh, invest in excellence for the future. Future always seems to be at a distance. But it comes upon you so suddenly that it catches you by surprise, if not shock. What constitutes excellence in the future will be significantly different from what it is today.

In these days of severe market pressures, there is big temptation to sacrifice the future to look good in the present. We must certainly trim our discretionary expenses, but we must ensure that our investments in strategic areas that lead to excellence in the future are protected.

Finally, excellence requires humility. This is especially needed when we feel we have reached the peak of excellence and there is nothing further we can do. We need an open mind to look at things in a different way and allow new inputs to come in.

Otherwise, there is a real danger of becoming complacent or even downright arrogant. I would like to end my talk with a story that illustrates this very well.

A brilliant young professor went to meet a famous Zen master to have a discussion with him on Zen. He found himself in front of a modest house. He rang the doorbell and waited. A while later, he heard shuffling footsteps and the door was opened by the Zen master.

He invited the professor to sit with him on the dining table. The professor was a little disappointed with the shabby appearance of the Zen master. He started quizzing him immediately on comparative philosophies and the Zen master gave some brief answers.

When the professor began to debate with him on those answers, the Zen master stopped speaking and kept smiling at him. Finally, the professor got angry. He said, "I have come from a long distance just to understand the relevance of Zenism. But apparently you have nothing to say. I have not learnt anything from you at all."

At this point, the Zen master asked the professor to have some tea. When the professor held the cup, the Zen master started pouring tea into it. After some time, the tea started spilling and the professor shouted, "Stop! The cup can contain no more."

The Zen Master stopped and then, once again smiling, he said, "A mind, full of itself can receive nothing. How can I speak to you of Zenism until you empty your mind to learn." The professor understood and apologized to the Zen master. He parted from him, the Zen master -- a wiser man.

The author is Chairman & Managing Director, Wipro Limited.

ASTM International partners with Scope for enhancing the findability of its digital library content

,Chennai, India, 07/11/2011: Scope eKnowledge Center (Scope), a leading content
enhancement and knowledge services provider, has been selected by ASTM
International, the globally recognized leader in international standards
development, for its subject matter expert (SME)-curated knowledge mining and
indexing services.
Under the agreement, Scope will be developing a domain-specific, multi-level
taxonomy for the vast array of content within ASTM’s Standards and Engineering
Digital Library (SEDL). With over 1,400 ebooks, 60,000 articles and chapters,
and 12,000 standards, the ASTM Standards and Engineering Digital Library is one
of the world’s most comprehensive engineering resources. Scope will also develop
facets with a taxonomic structure to enable robust cross domain search, as well
as create an expanded list of keywords to be mapped to the taxonomy and facets
accordingly. This content enhancement project aims to provide a more precise
search experience to the Digital Library end users, allow drilled-down
navigation, as well as the ability to conduct effective searches across content
domains.
Scope is known in the industry for its “assisted automation” approach that
blends the use of appropriate technology with subject domain expertise for
scalable, cost effective and high-value results for its clients worldwide. To
execute this project specifically, Scope has developed a team that includes
taxonomy experts and software specialists, as well as an array of domain experts
from the diverse breath of industries served by ASTM.
“I speak for the whole of the Scope team in saying that we are extremely pleased
to be working with an internationally recognized and respected organization such
as ASTM International,” shared Tram Venkatraman, President of Scope. “The
ability to optimize the mix of technology and subject matter expertise is
Scope’s forte. We look forward to leveraging this strength to support ASTM
International’s commitment to the development and dissemination of high- quality
standards and technical information in increasingly diverse fields.”
ASTM’s Director of Product Development and Marketing, David von Glahn, comments,
“We selected Scope’s SME-curated knowledge mining and indexing solution after an
in-depth review of a number of vendor’s proposals to address our content
enhancement goals. We were impressed by Scope’s ability to offer a robust
approach and are confident that the manual curation provided by their subject
matter experts will deliver a significantly improved search experience for our
end users.”