Clean Up Your Online Reputation
The problem: People not getting a job, fired, or not accepted into a school due to inappropriate posts and/or photos on the Internet.
Though we all now know that our presence online must be very appropriate for our futures, everyone makes mistakes. Maybe a friend posted a photo of you that you dislike and it is stuck online forever. Maybe you posted some things you shouldn't have when you were in high school/college. It happens many of us!
Solution: An online service that helps clean up your Internet image.
When we search our names on Google, photos or posts could show up that we don't want future employers to see. Sometimes these things cannot be removed because we were not the person who posted them. But with the usage of SEO's (search engine optimization) and other techniques, we can make it so those inappropriate posts wind up on deeper pages when we search our names on Google. By increasing the clicks and views on things we want employers to see, such as our LinkedIn page, blog, or portfolio, they will show up at the very top when our names are searched.
The service would also help with going "all the way back" on our various social media accounts to ensure that everything is work-friendly.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Identifying Local Opportunities
Note: I am taking this course from home in Rye, New York! My local newspapers will be different than those in Florida :)
1. A Public Park, or a Commercial Enterprise, That Is the Question
http://ryerecord.com/news/a-public-park-or-a-commercial-enterprise-that-is-the-question.html
This article discusses the current issue Rye is having with their public parks. The current estimate for infrastructure repairs at these parks is around $14 MILLION. Not only so, but public parks receive little funding and there have been essentially no investments in Rye Town Park over the past years. One idea to help solve the problem is to try and bring in more sponsored events to the parks. There are also proposals of private purchases of the parks. That will help the problem of the much-needed repairs, but it would put the parks in the hands of for-profit companies. The article concludes by stating that no agreements have been made at the current time. I wonder what will happen...
2. Metro-North delay: The Great Commuter Migration
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2016/05/18/metro-north-delay-gary-stern/84537542/
This article brings up the issue of train delays along the Metro-North Railroad. Living in Westchester, a high percentage of people commute to work in Manhattan every day rely on the Metro-North to take them to Grand Central. Normally, this is a 20-60 minute train ride (depending on which town you are leaving from) and a generally stress and traffic-free commute. On May 17, this was not the case. Due to a fire on the tracks located on Park Ave at East 119th St, trains were suspended for hours, leaving thousands of people without a ride home. This article specifically tells a story about how a group of people had to travel through Fordham (the station in the Bronx) in order to get to Brooklyn. It really raises the issue of how reliant many people in New York are on public transit, and how quickly things can go amuck when something goes wrong.
A blurry Snapchat photo from a friend. Grand Central during the fire.
3. Pain-Pill Abuse Kills Hundreds in Our Suburbs
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2015/10/01/pain-pill-abuse/32287313/
A rather upsetting article, but an important topic nonetheless. This article discusses the problem of drug dependence, specifically opioid-based painkillers, in teens and adults in Westchester county. It meets with an affected family of a child who overdosed. It also goes into a conversation about how these drugs get around, be it through an actual legal prescription or illegal dealings. It can be difficult to investigate doctors because it has that different feel than a drug dealer, but there have been gaps found in medical records, over-prescriptions, and many details missing in reports. One doctor in Rockland county was caught selling several million dollars worth of painkillers and received no jail time at all. Many state laws view selling prescription medication as a lesser crime than selling "real drugs," such as cocaine or heroine. With arrests for prescription drugs steadily increasing, deaths due to overdoses are increasing as well. Something needs to be done.
4. The Talk of the Town
http://ryerecord.com/news/the-talk-of-the-town.html
Unlike the last, this article made me laugh. It is all about the little, dumb things that are wrong with Rye. It begins with the issue of the terrible conditions of the sidewalks. Due to the constant freezing, melting, and re-freezing of ice in the winter, the sidewalks and roads get pretty cracked... and stay that way. Another point was that many of the trash cans downtown seem to always be overflowing, ew. There also were jersey barriers put up along a certain road due to a flood a year ago and they are STILL THERE for no reason at all. There is a certain intersection that desperately needs a crosswalk. These problems are surely annoying, but nothing more. If that is the worst thing they can write about the town then I cannot complain! Surely opportunities there, though... :)
5. Pollen Counts Will Soar This Week In Harrison
http://harrison.dailyvoice.com/news/pollen-counts-will-soar-this-week-in-harrison/660125/
Harrison is Rye's next door neighbor. One big difference between New York and Florida is the changing of the seasons. Florida is blessed with year round warmth (and about a week of winter in Gainesville I'd say...). New York, on the other hand, has a full set of seasons. The trees lose all their leaves in the Fall, which means in Spring they begin to bloom and blossom. This time is not very fun for those with allergies. This article warns that the pollen count is increasing in the upcoming week. It even includes a nifty "breathing index" on a map--showing us in the "orange zone." Yay!
1. A Public Park, or a Commercial Enterprise, That Is the Question
http://ryerecord.com/news/a-public-park-or-a-commercial-enterprise-that-is-the-question.html
This article discusses the current issue Rye is having with their public parks. The current estimate for infrastructure repairs at these parks is around $14 MILLION. Not only so, but public parks receive little funding and there have been essentially no investments in Rye Town Park over the past years. One idea to help solve the problem is to try and bring in more sponsored events to the parks. There are also proposals of private purchases of the parks. That will help the problem of the much-needed repairs, but it would put the parks in the hands of for-profit companies. The article concludes by stating that no agreements have been made at the current time. I wonder what will happen...
2. Metro-North delay: The Great Commuter Migration
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/transit/2016/05/18/metro-north-delay-gary-stern/84537542/
This article brings up the issue of train delays along the Metro-North Railroad. Living in Westchester, a high percentage of people commute to work in Manhattan every day rely on the Metro-North to take them to Grand Central. Normally, this is a 20-60 minute train ride (depending on which town you are leaving from) and a generally stress and traffic-free commute. On May 17, this was not the case. Due to a fire on the tracks located on Park Ave at East 119th St, trains were suspended for hours, leaving thousands of people without a ride home. This article specifically tells a story about how a group of people had to travel through Fordham (the station in the Bronx) in order to get to Brooklyn. It really raises the issue of how reliant many people in New York are on public transit, and how quickly things can go amuck when something goes wrong.
3. Pain-Pill Abuse Kills Hundreds in Our Suburbs
http://www.lohud.com/story/news/investigations/2015/10/01/pain-pill-abuse/32287313/
A rather upsetting article, but an important topic nonetheless. This article discusses the problem of drug dependence, specifically opioid-based painkillers, in teens and adults in Westchester county. It meets with an affected family of a child who overdosed. It also goes into a conversation about how these drugs get around, be it through an actual legal prescription or illegal dealings. It can be difficult to investigate doctors because it has that different feel than a drug dealer, but there have been gaps found in medical records, over-prescriptions, and many details missing in reports. One doctor in Rockland county was caught selling several million dollars worth of painkillers and received no jail time at all. Many state laws view selling prescription medication as a lesser crime than selling "real drugs," such as cocaine or heroine. With arrests for prescription drugs steadily increasing, deaths due to overdoses are increasing as well. Something needs to be done.
4. The Talk of the Town
http://ryerecord.com/news/the-talk-of-the-town.html
Unlike the last, this article made me laugh. It is all about the little, dumb things that are wrong with Rye. It begins with the issue of the terrible conditions of the sidewalks. Due to the constant freezing, melting, and re-freezing of ice in the winter, the sidewalks and roads get pretty cracked... and stay that way. Another point was that many of the trash cans downtown seem to always be overflowing, ew. There also were jersey barriers put up along a certain road due to a flood a year ago and they are STILL THERE for no reason at all. There is a certain intersection that desperately needs a crosswalk. These problems are surely annoying, but nothing more. If that is the worst thing they can write about the town then I cannot complain! Surely opportunities there, though... :)
5. Pollen Counts Will Soar This Week In Harrison
http://harrison.dailyvoice.com/news/pollen-counts-will-soar-this-week-in-harrison/660125/
Harrison is Rye's next door neighbor. One big difference between New York and Florida is the changing of the seasons. Florida is blessed with year round warmth (and about a week of winter in Gainesville I'd say...). New York, on the other hand, has a full set of seasons. The trees lose all their leaves in the Fall, which means in Spring they begin to bloom and blossom. This time is not very fun for those with allergies. This article warns that the pollen count is increasing in the upcoming week. It even includes a nifty "breathing index" on a map--showing us in the "orange zone." Yay!
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Bug List
BUG LIST:
1. Condensation from my water bottle making other things in my backpack all wet.
Summer is hot and ice water is cold.
2. Leather clothing/accessories staining my skin and other clothes.
New leather likes to rub off on to lighter objects. Especially if it accidentally gets wet.
3. Purchasing a "required" textbook for a class and never using it.
Not sure... do some teachers get a commission from textbook companies? I have no idea why teachers do this to us.
4. Cereal bags are really annoying to keep sealed once they are opened up.
Bags don't reseal, so you have to roll them up really tight in order for your cereal to not get stale.
5. The process of paying at a restaurant with a credit card. It takes multiple steps just to pay and tip.
You have to alert the waiter that you want the check, then get their attention again to give them your card, then wait for them to bring it back again so that you can tip.
6. People not putting their dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
No idea, you already put it in the sink why not just take an extra 5 seconds to put it in the dishwasher.
7. Mascara that rubs off onto your skin.
The makeup doesn't like to stay on your eyelashes but rather makes you look like a raccoon.
8. Earphones falling out of my ears while I work out.
Sweaty ears :(
9. A pathetic lack of outlets in airports.
Old airports didn't need them... but now everyone has a device that needs to be charged up when traveling. I'm tired of sitting in a corner on the floor for the only open outlet!
10. Losing my keys every single day of my life.
For some reason, I will remember every little stupid detail about irrelevant things, but I will never remember where I left my keys.
11. Headbands that slide back on my head.
Maybe it's my head shape? I have an extremely hard time finding headbands that will stay put.
12. When I see someone I know on campus and they just walk right by without acknowledging me at all.
Maybe they were taught that ignoring people isn't rude!
13. Getting emails every single day from companies I have shopped at.
Advertising obviously. I like getting emails periodically about sales and such, but it gets to a point where I start to resent the company if they email me every 5 seconds.
14. Nail polish that chips in like, a day.
Cheap paint.
15. People that share their entire life story and/or political views on social media.
Social media is the #1 way to get attention from as many people as you possibly can. I think that people abuse that.
16. McDonald's assuming that you want liquid sugar and flavorings pumped into your iced coffee.
I guess that order is more popular than regular coffee...
17. Hearing people's music through their personal headphones.
They are playing it WAY TOO LOUD.
18. The length of time that it takes to break in some pairs of shoes.
Obviously, not everyone's foot is going to fit every shoe, but it would be nice if the process of making them fit was less painful.
19. Midtown lines.
The bars are too few and too small for the amount of people wanting to go out!
20. Noon football games.
Poor scheduling? There is no reason why the players and spectators should have to suffer in that heat.
Reflection:
I didn't think that this was too difficult, which I guess means a lot of things bug me. I tried to think more along the lines of products that bother me more than interpersonal stuff... but I'd say I finished up with a mix of them. It got difficult around #15, but by spacing this assignment out over a couple of days it was never frustrating!
1. Condensation from my water bottle making other things in my backpack all wet.
Summer is hot and ice water is cold.
2. Leather clothing/accessories staining my skin and other clothes.
New leather likes to rub off on to lighter objects. Especially if it accidentally gets wet.
3. Purchasing a "required" textbook for a class and never using it.
Not sure... do some teachers get a commission from textbook companies? I have no idea why teachers do this to us.
4. Cereal bags are really annoying to keep sealed once they are opened up.
Bags don't reseal, so you have to roll them up really tight in order for your cereal to not get stale.
5. The process of paying at a restaurant with a credit card. It takes multiple steps just to pay and tip.
You have to alert the waiter that you want the check, then get their attention again to give them your card, then wait for them to bring it back again so that you can tip.
6. People not putting their dirty dishes in the dishwasher.
No idea, you already put it in the sink why not just take an extra 5 seconds to put it in the dishwasher.
7. Mascara that rubs off onto your skin.
The makeup doesn't like to stay on your eyelashes but rather makes you look like a raccoon.
8. Earphones falling out of my ears while I work out.
Sweaty ears :(
9. A pathetic lack of outlets in airports.
Old airports didn't need them... but now everyone has a device that needs to be charged up when traveling. I'm tired of sitting in a corner on the floor for the only open outlet!
10. Losing my keys every single day of my life.
For some reason, I will remember every little stupid detail about irrelevant things, but I will never remember where I left my keys.
11. Headbands that slide back on my head.
Maybe it's my head shape? I have an extremely hard time finding headbands that will stay put.
12. When I see someone I know on campus and they just walk right by without acknowledging me at all.
Maybe they were taught that ignoring people isn't rude!
13. Getting emails every single day from companies I have shopped at.
Advertising obviously. I like getting emails periodically about sales and such, but it gets to a point where I start to resent the company if they email me every 5 seconds.
14. Nail polish that chips in like, a day.
Cheap paint.
15. People that share their entire life story and/or political views on social media.
Social media is the #1 way to get attention from as many people as you possibly can. I think that people abuse that.
16. McDonald's assuming that you want liquid sugar and flavorings pumped into your iced coffee.
I guess that order is more popular than regular coffee...
17. Hearing people's music through their personal headphones.
They are playing it WAY TOO LOUD.
18. The length of time that it takes to break in some pairs of shoes.
Obviously, not everyone's foot is going to fit every shoe, but it would be nice if the process of making them fit was less painful.
19. Midtown lines.
The bars are too few and too small for the amount of people wanting to go out!
20. Noon football games.
Poor scheduling? There is no reason why the players and spectators should have to suffer in that heat.
Reflection:
I didn't think that this was too difficult, which I guess means a lot of things bug me. I tried to think more along the lines of products that bother me more than interpersonal stuff... but I'd say I finished up with a mix of them. It got difficult around #15, but by spacing this assignment out over a couple of days it was never frustrating!
Thursday, May 12, 2016
My Entrepreneurship Story
Hi - I wanted to start off by saying how excited I am to take this class. I had no idea when I registered that it was going to be styled this way (with a blog, writing, no tests, etc.) - and I love it! I think that it will be much more fun to learn about entrepreneurship this way.
Exposure to Entrepreneurship:
A major part of my exposure to entrepreneurship involves one of my dad's best friends, Bill Gurley. Mr. Gurely and my dad became friends when they attended UF together and our families have been close ever since. He is a partner at Benchmark Capital and a venture capitalist. Though I am obviously not involved in any way in his investments with startups, I love hearing about the different projects that he has worked on with entrepreneurs that have become successful today. It's amazing to me how a simple idea can become such a hit--Uber, GrubHub, and Zillow are just a few of some investments he has led. A couple years ago my parents were talking about "taking an Uber" and I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about... they said, "give it a couple months and all of your friends will know what Uber is." They couldn't have been more correct. Though Mr. Gurley and Benchmark invested in this particular startup, none of it would be possible without the entrepreneurs behind the idea.
Why I Took ENT3003:
I chose to take this class because entrepreneurship has always been an extremely interesting topic to me. I haven't had any groundbreaking ideas myself, so I really admire those who can come up with a good/service/idea that doesn't already exist. I also admire the amount of risk that entrepreneurs take in their careers. It truly shows how passionate these people about their ideas. I hope that by the end of this course I have learned all about the process of turning an idea into a reality!
Exposure to Entrepreneurship:
A major part of my exposure to entrepreneurship involves one of my dad's best friends, Bill Gurley. Mr. Gurely and my dad became friends when they attended UF together and our families have been close ever since. He is a partner at Benchmark Capital and a venture capitalist. Though I am obviously not involved in any way in his investments with startups, I love hearing about the different projects that he has worked on with entrepreneurs that have become successful today. It's amazing to me how a simple idea can become such a hit--Uber, GrubHub, and Zillow are just a few of some investments he has led. A couple years ago my parents were talking about "taking an Uber" and I had absolutely no idea what they were talking about... they said, "give it a couple months and all of your friends will know what Uber is." They couldn't have been more correct. Though Mr. Gurley and Benchmark invested in this particular startup, none of it would be possible without the entrepreneurs behind the idea.
Why I Took ENT3003:
I chose to take this class because entrepreneurship has always been an extremely interesting topic to me. I haven't had any groundbreaking ideas myself, so I really admire those who can come up with a good/service/idea that doesn't already exist. I also admire the amount of risk that entrepreneurs take in their careers. It truly shows how passionate these people about their ideas. I hope that by the end of this course I have learned all about the process of turning an idea into a reality!
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