MOBILE PHONE SPAM

ABCnews.com produced a video exploring the implications of mobile phone spam. Posted on March 11, 2008 the link connects to previous discussion regarding push and pull technology.

This spam 'crisis' has created an environment making users aware of the implications of mobile phone use and cautions one must take when signing up to add extras to your phone. If we peer into the PR sphere, how will this impact the environment? One implication might be that using cell phones to ‘push’ a product might backfire if mobile users start blocking what appears on their phone. Another more serious implication would be how Spam might interfere with important and confidential documents. It seems that many professionals are using mobile devices to communicate with their clients as well as their office. The intrusion of Spam is becoming more dominate as the technology increases. Will Spam force PR professionals to alter their modes of communication? From the professionals I have talked to in the field, life without mobile devices would be quite difficult. Will spam force the profession to find safer ways of delivering information?

BETTER COMMUNICATORS

After reading Irene's post: Social Networking: A new PR tool, I did some research of my own and found an article discussing Facebook. In the article "Facing up to Facebook", Stewart Kirkpatrick, a digital content consultant states, "using social networking tools or blogs actually makes employees better communicators". Kirkpatrick further reveals, "through these activities they (employees) are more likely to come across intelligence that could be to their employer's benefit". Kirkpatrick then argues the point that "staff who use the full gamut of online options are more valuable assets than those who do not". While I see merit in Kirkpatrick's statement, I would disagree that online communication equates to better communicators. Maybe when he uses the work communication, Kirkpatrick is talking about written communication. Just because someone can use Facebook, doesn't mean they have the interpersonal skills to connect to clients and work with other employees. His comment about staff being more valuable if they use the full gamut of online options is another issue that I have to disagree with. While the online systems are a valuable component in today's society. It is not the only quality an employee must possess to be an asset to the company. Even though the article does not distinguish between different professions, I feel that a PR professional must acquire many different types of skills to be an asset to a company. Even with the technology influence on the profession, interpersonal communication is a quality that cannot be overlooked.

PUSH VS. PULL

With the advancement of mobile technologies new methods of communication are being formulated. Two terms that have developed from this advancement are push and pull technology. Push technology involves information (e.g. emails) being 'pushed' to the user as soon as they are sent to the messaging service. In contrast, pull technology refers to when a user (or recipient) initiates the transfer of information. “The original BlackBerry was the first popular example of push technology in a wireless context"(wikipedia). Since then, many mobile devices offer push technology.
The mobile phenomenon has drastically changed the PR realm. It has allowed communication to occur at a faster pace (you are no longer limited by location) and more often (people are able to be contacted 24/7). However, does this bode well for PRs? Some believe mobile devices allow them more flexibility when communicating to clients and co-workers. What about the concept of personal time? Does it exist with mobile devices?

Wikipedia. Push Technology [accessed March 6,2008]
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Push_technology&oldid=182636889

MOTOROLA BRICK

Hello Derek,

I believe this is the infamous phone you were talking about. I have no idea why these phones went out of style!