MACPA's multiweek tutorial on Web 2.0 enabled me to learn about technologies I had long been curious about (Second Life, Facebook, Flickr, Wikis) and to refine my knowledge of those I had some familiarity with (blogging, YouTube, podcasts).
The applications I enjoyed the most were blogging and the online image generator. I had been interested in blogging but never took the time to create and use a blog. The program, with its mandatory blogging at regular intervals, provided considerable practice at putting one's thoughts together in this format. The online image generator was lots of fun and could be a good source of humor in all sorts of communications. I certainly plan to use blogging for Tomorrow's CPA, once we have it established.
I was less enthusiastic about SecondLife and FaceBook. SecondLife may have a great future, but I find it very difficult to navigate, the avatars are cold and eerie and the whole linden dollars concept is remote to me. It was nevertheless intriguing to participate in the program and at least establish a working knowledge. I was also not entirely comfortable with FaceBook and MySpace, though I think FaceBook as it evolves will replace personal emails. To me it was too much like dating Web sites and leaves one too open to a rather more personal type of spam. I have already been subjected to unwanted contacts and I don't even have a profile or picture.
Several applications seemed to me fairly redundant for my purposes, such as Technorati, del.icio.us, Rollyo. It is possible that in the future I will find a use for them, but for now they seem to duplicate resources like bloglines and Google that are already sufficient for me.
In my previous blogs I identified the applications I thought would be most useful to our members. I know SecondLife can be a marvelous resource for meetings, recruiting and marketing in general. Our blogs and podcasts are off to a positive start. Internally, Wikis can be an effective way to brainstorm and hold other types of dialogue. While the social networking sites have captivated the younger generation I am not sure that at the present stage of evolution they offer us much opportunity as an association. My sense is that these sites are strictly social and an escape from such issues as career or school.
What stands out most for me is the enormous benefit MACPA has provided staff. This has been such an imaginative yet disciplined introduction to technologies we really need to be acquainted with--both professionally and in our personal lives. Even if we don't apply these learnings regularly, our technological literacy has been considerably increased. I like the week to week progression, the blogging commentary, and the incentive to complete the whole course. We all owe MACPA thanks for putting our continuing education as a priority.
I do not have any important suggestions about administering the program. I would hope there is some kind of follow up to encourage people to use these applications, and maybe future tutorials to refine our skills or introduce new applications as they emerge.
Monday, December 3, 2007
MACPA podcast tops, natch
I have enjoyed all the MACPA podcasts, both for the relevant content, the incisive presentation and the spot-on questioning of Bill Sheridan. The podcasts complement the MACPA blogs by providing excellent brief commentary on developments in the profession, in a very absorbable format.
On this occasion I listened to Bill's interview with Judy O'Dell, who is chairing the FASB committee on financial reporting standards for private companies. This would have been a good "trailer" for the Nov. 30 town hall meeting in Salisbury, which I was unable to attend. It was valuable to hear directly from the chair's mouth about the rationale for the committee, some of the challenges it faces, and the judicious decision to delay the process. I appreciated the inside look into something I had heard about but had only vague notions about.
I wonder if there is a way to have a visual component for the podcast. I do not mean a video but rather a photo of the speaker, in this case Judy O'Dell; or perhaps some background text--a bio of the speaker, bullet points about the topic, or somesuch. I know most people won't be looking at the screen while listening, but I feel that instead of a moving ball the kinds of things I mentioned might add another dimension to the experience. Just a thought.
These podcasts are just one more way MACPA is going to extra lengths to inform members. I hope the number of listeners will grown exponentially.
On this occasion I listened to Bill's interview with Judy O'Dell, who is chairing the FASB committee on financial reporting standards for private companies. This would have been a good "trailer" for the Nov. 30 town hall meeting in Salisbury, which I was unable to attend. It was valuable to hear directly from the chair's mouth about the rationale for the committee, some of the challenges it faces, and the judicious decision to delay the process. I appreciated the inside look into something I had heard about but had only vague notions about.
I wonder if there is a way to have a visual component for the podcast. I do not mean a video but rather a photo of the speaker, in this case Judy O'Dell; or perhaps some background text--a bio of the speaker, bullet points about the topic, or somesuch. I know most people won't be looking at the screen while listening, but I feel that instead of a moving ball the kinds of things I mentioned might add another dimension to the experience. Just a thought.
These podcasts are just one more way MACPA is going to extra lengths to inform members. I hope the number of listeners will grown exponentially.
Becoming one of the Pod People
I have listened to a variety of podcasts in the past year--everything from book reviews to jazz discussions to the MACPA podcasts. Along with YouTube and blogs, podcasts are a useful way to get information in a very immediate way--in both senses of immediate. I love the oppportunity to see or hear people in the flesh, in addition to reading blogs. I don't see any real downsides to podcast; the sound quality is generally good. I would like to be able to fast forward, especially in a lengthy podcast like the New York Times Book Review, where some topics are more interesting than others. (I am not sure there is that capability with all podcasts.) I will probably turn to blogs more than podcasts for information, because I absorb information better through reading and I like to skim longer texts. But I know I will use podcasts on occasion as well.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Direct from You Tube: Maryland CPAs
I have seen this MACPA video 100 times but I never dreamed I could house it on my own blog. It is such a perfect distillation of the Maryland CPA, all in an incisive 7 minutes. It has become a staple of our presentations to everyone from high school students to members at town meetings and it never fails to inform and impress. So glad to have it here.
Desultory thoughts about technology
I love technology, in this case computers and the Internet, as much as anyone. As an erstwhile scholar, I revel in the immediate gratification of finding bits of information so quickly. Email is a godsend. Shopping online is invaluable. I can even catch up on tv shows I have missed. I spend the better part of the day and some of the night online. My work is more gratifying than ever and there opportunities to expand what I do for the company and our members. For my son, who is autistic, the computer has provided a lease on life and potentially a career. Heck, I even met my wife online.
Nevertheless, there are a few things that do frustrate me about the technology.
1. You become completely dependent on it.
2. The latest program becomes obsolete in a trice.
3. It replaces, but cannot replace, direct human contact.
4. Laptops will never be inexpensive enough.
5. Technical problems arise and I never know how to resolve them; it I do find an expert, it take them a long time and the expense can be enormous.
I see countless opportunities in Web 2.0; by now I am conditioned to believe that the newest craze will be tomorrow's necessity. Yet I wonder if, by choice or catastrophe, I suddenly turned my back on computers and returned to the ante-bellum world of reading and phone calls (but never handwritten letters!).
But why would I want to?
Nevertheless, there are a few things that do frustrate me about the technology.
1. You become completely dependent on it.
2. The latest program becomes obsolete in a trice.
3. It replaces, but cannot replace, direct human contact.
4. Laptops will never be inexpensive enough.
5. Technical problems arise and I never know how to resolve them; it I do find an expert, it take them a long time and the expense can be enormous.
I see countless opportunities in Web 2.0; by now I am conditioned to believe that the newest craze will be tomorrow's necessity. Yet I wonder if, by choice or catastrophe, I suddenly turned my back on computers and returned to the ante-bellum world of reading and phone calls (but never handwritten letters!).
But why would I want to?
Not much ado about Rollyo
Perhumps I didn't use it properly, but I found little enchantment in Rollyo. I selected jazz as my topic and copied down sites from my favorites. Many sites had URLs longer than one line, so I was prohibited from entering them--the 25 character limit is stifling. I don't really see the point of this program, when just visiting my favorites will give me pretty much the same result. The related searches seem to be about what you would see on Google. This is the first Web 2.0 application that I found rather redundant, but again, I may not have used it properly.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Generating a monumental image
Hey, you can be a rocket scientist too! Just go to http://www.hetemeel.com/einsteinform.php and let Einstein scrawl one of your profundities.
My wife is always asking me how much I love her, but she is never convinced of the magnitude of my affection. So I figured I would post it in Einsteinian terms.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Web 2.0 and CPAs
Of all the listed articles, I found the BBJ piece, A new way to network: MySpace, Facebook aren't just for teens anymore, the most comprehensive and useful. That's because it highlighted a variety of businesspeople who have found uses for Web 2.0 features.
The article spells out one overriding rationale for businesses to adopt social networking applications: everyone else is doing it. As it became de rigeur for a company to establish a Web site, however lean, in the 1990s, so it will be essential to have some kind of presence, or at least capability in the Web 2.0 universe in the coming years.
CPAs, like any other kind of professional services business, is predicated on interpersonal contacts and networking sites expand the scope and opportunities considerably. I am not familiar with LinkedIn, but according to the article the application seems more focused on business culture and could provide a means for both obtaining referrals and client contact.
The essence of the new services is "they offer an evolved form of marketing compared with the one-way communication of traditional advertising, marketing executives said. The collaboration among the online communities enables customers to talk back to companies, giving a better idea of what they want and what they like. " Given the crush of client work and the need for CPAs to be both accessible and manage their time more than ever before, this communications short-cut could be a lifesaver.
I think for most firms networking sites will fit their business model; possibly less so for business and industry CPAs. Certainly for larger firms the sites can help manage a large and diverse population; while for smaller firms it enables them to provide the personalized service that is their forte.
The article did not address another significant benefit of networking sites: improved personal and informational access within an organization. For meetings, committees, brainstorming and even research, these sites can enhance collaborative efforts throughout an organization.
The article spells out one overriding rationale for businesses to adopt social networking applications: everyone else is doing it. As it became de rigeur for a company to establish a Web site, however lean, in the 1990s, so it will be essential to have some kind of presence, or at least capability in the Web 2.0 universe in the coming years.
CPAs, like any other kind of professional services business, is predicated on interpersonal contacts and networking sites expand the scope and opportunities considerably. I am not familiar with LinkedIn, but according to the article the application seems more focused on business culture and could provide a means for both obtaining referrals and client contact.
The essence of the new services is "they offer an evolved form of marketing compared with the one-way communication of traditional advertising, marketing executives said. The collaboration among the online communities enables customers to talk back to companies, giving a better idea of what they want and what they like. " Given the crush of client work and the need for CPAs to be both accessible and manage their time more than ever before, this communications short-cut could be a lifesaver.
I think for most firms networking sites will fit their business model; possibly less so for business and industry CPAs. Certainly for larger firms the sites can help manage a large and diverse population; while for smaller firms it enables them to provide the personalized service that is their forte.
The article did not address another significant benefit of networking sites: improved personal and informational access within an organization. For meetings, committees, brainstorming and even research, these sites can enhance collaborative efforts throughout an organization.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Technorati
As with Del.icio.us, I find Technorati useful as a complement to other Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 applications. It is convenient to bookmark blogs, but I am not sure I will find more of them than by searching bloglines. I do think this can be very valuable for someone who is following a particular topic, especially one that is rather obscure; or doing comprehensive research on a topic.
Del.icio.us
Web sites for my favorite composers. Some insights into my favorite writer.
I don't know if Del.icio.us is supposed to just lead you to places of interest, but that is how I used it this first time around. I find it complements a Google search or Bloglines search in doing research. I am not sure how it expands the existing bookmarks practice or Facebook or social networking sites, or whether it contains much of importance that is not available elsewhere. But it is well worth knowing about.
I don't know if Del.icio.us is supposed to just lead you to places of interest, but that is how I used it this first time around. I find it complements a Google search or Bloglines search in doing research. I am not sure how it expands the existing bookmarks practice or Facebook or social networking sites, or whether it contains much of importance that is not available elsewhere. But it is well worth knowing about.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
RSS Feeds the Need
I've enjoyed the fruits of RSS for years, via a My Yahoo page that gives me running updates on business, accounting, sports and entertainment news throughout the day. It is a perfect complement to the general business press, containing news that those media overlook, or freshly updated content. I have most often used the feeds to garner links to articles I can use for student newsletters, or to inform MACPA staff of a relevant news update.
What is not to like?
Well, the only possible downside I can imagine really rests with the invidivual. You can make poor selections and get bombarded by irrelevant material. Or you can overindulge and, like other features of Web 2.0, spend your whole day following the feeds. You do need to be discriminating and also occasionally take time to delete feeds that have grown stale or do not publish frequently.
MACPA is already using RSS feeds for our blogs, podcasts and other publications. I can see where we could use feeds for legislative updates during the General Assembly session, or updates from Town Hall meetings. I can envision feeds complementing, perhaps one day replacing, our e-newsletters and e-nnouncements. Feeds are certainly a non-intrusive way to keep members informed, tailored to their own needs and interests.
I don't know that we need to improve our RSS-related content, other than expanding and further customizing it.
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Social networking or Social Security?
I invited some old friends to join me on Facebook. You are too old, they said. It is for millenials only, they said. Fortunately, Google did not discriminate and I find myself in a world only a little less strange than SecondLife, a world of prolix profiles and copious photos, where my 21-year-old daughter seems to swim with dolphins whilst I languish with sea snails. It is fun and potentially addictive and a sure cure for loneliness. Email seems rather quaint when you can communicate with a total person like this.
The applications for business are pretty obvious and some are already in use. You can certainly read a resume, conduct an interview and do all sorts of recruiting, as some CPA firms are already doing. You could probably market to a client prospect as well. Internally, you can build esprit de corps by having employees sign each other up as friends. I see a perfect application for our Tomorrow's CPA program: having members provide links to their profiles and maybe linking up with each. To talk about accounting, of course.
I don't see all that much difference with MySpace, though the atmosphere seems a little less adventurous. I do see some potential problems with both programs--addiction, sharing of too much information, rampant mendacity and social fraud and of course prurience. I don't know that I will make frequent use of social networking in my non working life. But anything can happen once I retire.
The applications for business are pretty obvious and some are already in use. You can certainly read a resume, conduct an interview and do all sorts of recruiting, as some CPA firms are already doing. You could probably market to a client prospect as well. Internally, you can build esprit de corps by having employees sign each other up as friends. I see a perfect application for our Tomorrow's CPA program: having members provide links to their profiles and maybe linking up with each. To talk about accounting, of course.
I don't see all that much difference with MySpace, though the atmosphere seems a little less adventurous. I do see some potential problems with both programs--addiction, sharing of too much information, rampant mendacity and social fraud and of course prurience. I don't know that I will make frequent use of social networking in my non working life. But anything can happen once I retire.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Affirming Second Life
What's not to like about Second Life?
This and other virtual worlds offer everything from creative self-expression to business opportunities to educational experiences. Second Life is really the logical culmination (so far) of the computer revolution, a major rebirth of the ego.
The things I don't like about Second Life are less intrinsic to the program and more a function of its newness. There are a million aspects to be refined and improved. The graphics can certainly become more realistic and HD. The avatars are unwieldy; I want mine to look just like me, for better or worse. I am sure security issues and even viruses will emerge if they haven't already. And the potential for pornography and malfeasance is unlimited. In its own way, I am sure Second Life and its ilk will be susceptible to most of the ills of First Life.
MACPA and its members could find in Second Life a whole new vehicle for business development, education and providing of services. Ironically, interpersonal relations and other soft skills will have a totally new application and CPA types might even feel more comfortable, and be even more effective, interacting this way.
For MACPA this is just one more medium to help us provide education and interact with a variety of communities. It can help us essentially conquer the twin obstacles of time and space.
This and other virtual worlds offer everything from creative self-expression to business opportunities to educational experiences. Second Life is really the logical culmination (so far) of the computer revolution, a major rebirth of the ego.
The things I don't like about Second Life are less intrinsic to the program and more a function of its newness. There are a million aspects to be refined and improved. The graphics can certainly become more realistic and HD. The avatars are unwieldy; I want mine to look just like me, for better or worse. I am sure security issues and even viruses will emerge if they haven't already. And the potential for pornography and malfeasance is unlimited. In its own way, I am sure Second Life and its ilk will be susceptible to most of the ills of First Life.
MACPA and its members could find in Second Life a whole new vehicle for business development, education and providing of services. Ironically, interpersonal relations and other soft skills will have a totally new application and CPA types might even feel more comfortable, and be even more effective, interacting this way.
For MACPA this is just one more medium to help us provide education and interact with a variety of communities. It can help us essentially conquer the twin obstacles of time and space.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Flickr than water
Flickr is fantastic. I had already received photos of weddings, babies, even a remodeled kitchen. This is the first time I ever used the application and some of its side effects.
You have to love the convenience, the instantaneousness, and the potential for sharing all kinds of photos. For families and friends it is a godsend. I love the ease of use and the quality of the photos.
Of course, the product is open to all kinds of abuses. I receive so many sets and collections that go on forever. Perhumps people will eventually learn to temper their enthusiasm and send only selections from the collection.
MACPA has already used Flickr for our blogs and for Web site pictures. This is invaluable for capturing a meeting or conference or other gathering. We can illustrate an association achievement or event with great immediacy for all our members. And there are playful uses too. With so many CPAs changing firms, it would be fun to have trading cards that firms could use--even put softball batting averages on the back!
You have to love the convenience, the instantaneousness, and the potential for sharing all kinds of photos. For families and friends it is a godsend. I love the ease of use and the quality of the photos.
Of course, the product is open to all kinds of abuses. I receive so many sets and collections that go on forever. Perhumps people will eventually learn to temper their enthusiasm and send only selections from the collection.
MACPA has already used Flickr for our blogs and for Web site pictures. This is invaluable for capturing a meeting or conference or other gathering. We can illustrate an association achievement or event with great immediacy for all our members. And there are playful uses too. With so many CPAs changing firms, it would be fun to have trading cards that firms could use--even put softball batting averages on the back!
My Friend Flickr
I have been experimenting with Flickr. I didn't have anything at hand to upload, so I grabbed a photo of the statue of my favorite writer, John O'Hara, that towers above the market square in Pottsville, PA. I journey to Pottsville every year to take part in the John O'Hara festival, which usually includes a dramatization of an O'Hara novel or story, a panel discussion, and a swell dinner at the local Schulkill County Country Club. There will be no event this year. Why?
Wanna see my fab photo? Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/raisinhead/1638758138/
Wanna see my fab photo? Go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/raisinhead/1638758138/
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Blogs and Wikis, pros and cons
Blogs provide a relaxed and easy forum to open one's mind, exercise one's communications muscles, enter the world. As with letterwriting and journalkeeping you can express yourself at your own pace in your own voice--with the potential that someone, a friend, a rival, a complete stranger, may applaud your efforts, elaborate on your arguments, or assail your every word. Like James Thurber, the blogger is saying this is my world and welcome to it.
Wikis provide many of the pleasures of blogging with the added dimension of a community project. Yours can be a voice among many, presumably with one uniting goal. It's a perfect medium for collaborative research, brainstorming, a piecemeal process of cumulation with a built-in mechanism for correction and amplification.
As Internet phenomena, blogs and wikis are subject to the whims of an unpredictable public. I don't like it that cranks can monopolize and pervert a discussion, almost with impunity. There is the temptation to make the Internet one's only world and to lose appreciation for human contact; even email seems quaint and feeble compared with the power of blogs and wikis.
Blogs and wikis offer tremendous potential for MACPA, in terms of interaction with and between members. Time and distance present such obstacles to a vibrant and involved community and blogs can close those gaps. Better than any survey, we could obtain perspectives on an issue or program with qualitative detail. Especially as younger generations of CPAs become the majority of our members, blogs, wikis and other Internet tools should become instruments for keeping continually in touch without becoming intrusive.
Wikis provide many of the pleasures of blogging with the added dimension of a community project. Yours can be a voice among many, presumably with one uniting goal. It's a perfect medium for collaborative research, brainstorming, a piecemeal process of cumulation with a built-in mechanism for correction and amplification.
As Internet phenomena, blogs and wikis are subject to the whims of an unpredictable public. I don't like it that cranks can monopolize and pervert a discussion, almost with impunity. There is the temptation to make the Internet one's only world and to lose appreciation for human contact; even email seems quaint and feeble compared with the power of blogs and wikis.
Blogs and wikis offer tremendous potential for MACPA, in terms of interaction with and between members. Time and distance present such obstacles to a vibrant and involved community and blogs can close those gaps. Better than any survey, we could obtain perspectives on an issue or program with qualitative detail. Especially as younger generations of CPAs become the majority of our members, blogs, wikis and other Internet tools should become instruments for keeping continually in touch without becoming intrusive.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Wagging my tongue over taxes
Here's the URL for a comment I left on the MACPA's blog: http://www.cpasuccess.com/2007/10/tongues-are-wag.htm
Hairspray
Like dutiful husbands everywhere, I often accede to my wife's wishes when it comes to entertainment. Two classic examples from the past weekend: Hairspray and Desperate Housewives.
I had not cared for the original John Waters film, a typically sloppy one-joke enterprise; nor did the prospect of John Travolta in drag or an anorexic Michelle Pheiffer entice. But who can resist a discount neighborhood theater on a Saturday night, the fumes from the overdressed popcorn creating an aphrodisiacal aroma as I hold hands with my honey in the dark?
I enjoyed the music and dance in the film and I heartily endorse its predilection for ample female posteriors. But Travolta was a drag in drag; the music, albeit consistently lively, all sounded the same; the plot was ludicrous even for a musical; and the characters lacked the Waters edginess. Baltimore was barely suggested in an opening cityscape and Travolta's attempts at the local nasal. (Why was he the only one to assume that hideous accent?) At any rate, the 90+ minutes passed pleasantly and I had the satisfaction of pleasing my wife without punishing myself.
The next evening concluded, as many Sundays have, with the latest episode of Desperate Housewives. Nothing is sexier than a suburban housewife, though I have always balked at the sleek slender variety conjured by this show. The first few seasons displayed some cleverness and an unwonted sinister streak for a network series. It was an easy way to share some female humor with my wife while getting in touch with my non-existent feminine side.
However, the plots this season have ventured beyond the absurd, Bree's false pregnancy and Orson's newfound blandness are tiresome, Susan's true pregnancy is even more tiresome, and Dana Delany (whom I adore) is wasted in a role that is thin physically and emotionally. Poor Lynette, the best actress on the show, has been reduced to a cancer poster child. I do like the Edie-Gabby-Carlos triangle, which has some of the wicked eroticism of previous years.
I just don't know if I can sit through another hour (much of it commercials) of this inanity. Sorry, Marla.
I had not cared for the original John Waters film, a typically sloppy one-joke enterprise; nor did the prospect of John Travolta in drag or an anorexic Michelle Pheiffer entice. But who can resist a discount neighborhood theater on a Saturday night, the fumes from the overdressed popcorn creating an aphrodisiacal aroma as I hold hands with my honey in the dark?
I enjoyed the music and dance in the film and I heartily endorse its predilection for ample female posteriors. But Travolta was a drag in drag; the music, albeit consistently lively, all sounded the same; the plot was ludicrous even for a musical; and the characters lacked the Waters edginess. Baltimore was barely suggested in an opening cityscape and Travolta's attempts at the local nasal. (Why was he the only one to assume that hideous accent?) At any rate, the 90+ minutes passed pleasantly and I had the satisfaction of pleasing my wife without punishing myself.
The next evening concluded, as many Sundays have, with the latest episode of Desperate Housewives. Nothing is sexier than a suburban housewife, though I have always balked at the sleek slender variety conjured by this show. The first few seasons displayed some cleverness and an unwonted sinister streak for a network series. It was an easy way to share some female humor with my wife while getting in touch with my non-existent feminine side.
However, the plots this season have ventured beyond the absurd, Bree's false pregnancy and Orson's newfound blandness are tiresome, Susan's true pregnancy is even more tiresome, and Dana Delany (whom I adore) is wasted in a role that is thin physically and emotionally. Poor Lynette, the best actress on the show, has been reduced to a cancer poster child. I do like the Edie-Gabby-Carlos triangle, which has some of the wicked eroticism of previous years.
I just don't know if I can sit through another hour (much of it commercials) of this inanity. Sorry, Marla.
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