Telegraph to Tweet

There are so many mediums to share messages but examining where those mediums originated from can help us understand where future communication might be headed.

Think about the way we communicate- Tweets, status updates, blogs... But how did people communicate in not so distant past?

Telegraphs sent tiny messages across states and oceans in much the same way that Tweets travel across boundaries. There are so many ways that individuals and corporations communicate with others that it is nearly impossible not to wonder what the most effective medium is.

But what comes next? Yes, palm sized phones and netbooks help us communicate quickly from nearly any location-- but their ancestors-- the telegraph and a room sized super computer were once the most advanced technologies. Technology will continue to evolve and media will continue to reposition itself to spread messages. But how? What's next? Have we reached the peak of technological inventions? I doubt it but I do wonder what's on the horizon.

Week Two of School

I've thought about blogging for quite some time. In middle school and high school I used it as an emotional outlet for all the things I couldn't say to anyone specific. Those have long since been deleted but I still find myself wanting to share my thoughts with an unknown audience.

I just started my second semester in graduate school. I am working towards a Masters of Arts with a focus on PR. Unfortunately there isn't a social media component available so I am doing what I can to learn about its impact and opportunity on my own.

I think it's absolutely fascinating that so many corporations are utilizing Facebook, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter to build brand awareness and target new audiences. I want to know how this trend got to be such a useful tool and where it will lead. How will it impact event planning? Will PR coordinators learn to incorporate social media into their plans? Will social media become its own department in the world of marketing?

Obviously some of those questions can be answered now, but I'm interested in the long term. With so much new technology, will social media as we know it- continue to be utilized in the same ways? What type of new media or program will present itself as competition to those that we rave about today? I'd be interested to hear what experienced marketing consultants and PR managers have to say....