The Value of a LinkedIn Profile
I was first introduced to LinkedIn around three years ago. A longtime friend of mine sent me an invitation, but I had no idea what it was.
“So, why do I want a LinkedIn profile,” I asked. He told me that his brother had sent him an invitation, and he thought that it would be worth joining.
Multi-Generational Interview
The following interview was conducted to gauge the opinions of Social Media (SM) across generations. A Baby Boomer named Eugene and myself, a Gen X’er, answered the following questions.
Describe how you feel about using a computer to connect to the Internet.
E: I turn on the computer, and I know which icon to click on to get to my webpage. That’s all I know, unless you’re going to show me some more stuff.
J: I feel comfortable using the computer to get online. I know which applications I need for a particular job, although most things I do can be accomplished in a web browser.
Online-Offline Media Integration
A Video Statement
STATEMENT: Social Media (SM) is helping people to communicate more effectively.
Depending on one’s perspective, this statement could be true or false. For our purposes, I will start this discussion stating that this is true.
Through SM we are reminded of events, trivial or otherwise, that are occurring in the lives of our friends and family. It’s no matter whether they live across town, across the state, or on another continent. As long as they’re somehow connected to the great interwebs, we are alerted to status updates, tweets, and various forms of media.
Robots, Fritos & Mountain Dew
Visiting TI
On Tuesday night, my classmates and I braved the busy toll ways and freeways of North Dallas to attend a meeting at the Texas Instruments fabrication facility in Richardson, Texas.
Downtown Dallas & An Outdoor Learning Center
17Seventeen Building
Saturday’s class found us in downtown Dallas, visiting 17Seventeen off of McKinney Avenue. Jackson Murphy, LEED AP BD+C with Huitt-Zollars, met with our group to discuss the LEED Gold certified building in which they operate.
We started on the ground floor, where Jackson explained some of the requirements that the building met in order to achieve certification. From the lobby, we could see that employees and residents had easy access to DART buses and light rail, as well as the McKinney Avenue Trolley. (The building has two towers: one commercial and the other residential.) There was also bicycle storage for those who biked to work. Finally he pointed out the water-efficient landscaping that consisted of mostly horsetail plants.
The Ryan Home & Steve Chaney
The Ryan Home
This was a rare Thursday night class for our cohort. We left campus and traveled a few minutes south to visit the home of Philip Newburn, an architect with Dobbins+Crow.
This home was similar in style to the first one that we toured when we started this class. Also in common with that first home was the fact that it was built by Ferrier Custom Homes, and Don Ferrier and Philip greeted us.
TCC Trinity River Campus & Heather’s “New” House
TCC
Tonight’s class found the group meeting at TCC’s Trinity River Campus. The complex was huge and far more accessible than I imagined, considering it was on the northwest side of downtown Fort Worth. (One interesting note is that the building originally belonged to Radio Shack, who still reside in part of the building, but no longer own it.)
Two Guest Speakers
We were recently visited by two guest speakers who met with our Studio class.
Jerry Burbridge
I was discussing the recent visit from Jerry Burbridge with one of my coworkers and sustainability cohort student, Ron Roberson. He and I talked about some of the topics brought up in class.
A Home on Bailey
Greetings! This is my first entry for the Sustainability Studio blog. I will discuss some of my observations from class and from our periodic visits to various sites around the Metroplex.
Our first class for the Sustainability Studio found us meeting at the new home of Mr. and Mrs. De La Pena. The young couple were joined by Heather Ferrier, general manager of Ferrier Custom Homes, the company who built their home. The home is located just northwest of downtown Fort Worth.