Chapter 4 Homework

1.   It is important to use more than one label or tag to describe the same piece of information because it allows users to find a photo or document more efficiently than using one label.  Different users may find different terms meaningful, so using more than one label allows a variety of users to find the same document.

2.  Organizing information using a hierarchical structure means that items are stored in a vertical ranking  system, similar to an outline, which folders are divided into sub-folders.  Documents are classified as being above, below or at the same level as others.  Typically, a hierarchical structure is used for storage on a drive or portable storage device.

3. Flickr is a  website used for the storing and sharing of photographs and videos.  Registration is free of charge.  The website is not only popular for users to share and embed personal photographs, but it is used by  by bloggers to host images that they embed in blogs and social media.

4.  I see myself using Flickr for uploading travel photos for the travel blog. As of 11/13/11, I officially set up a Flickr page.  To protect my privacy, I will allow only friends and family to see photos that show my wife or me.  Other photos, such as scenery, will be open to the public, with  reservations.  If someone is going to use a photo--taken by me or by anyone else, for that matter--and use that photo for commercial gain, then it's only fair that the person who took the photo receive compensation. How is anyone going to stop commercial use of Flickr photos?  Has Flickr been destroying the careers of freelance photographers?   

5.  Judy Greenberg's presentation on social media was extremely informative.  I learned several things:

• The importance of  consistency and linking all of one's websites. 
• Practical tips on search engine optimization, such as:  Use a title that a potential client would type into Google, and repeat that title in the first sentence of a blog posting.
• The website Statcounter.com allows you to track visits to your own website or blog.

After the presentation, I was left wondering:  How many hours a week does it take to maintain all that social media? It seems to me that the biggest challenge, especially for a small-business owner, is the time involved.  One's primary career can be time-consuming enough, without maintaining a half-dozen blogs/websites and answering hundreds of e-mails and phone calls per week.  To be able to have a full night's sleep every night and a personal life, too, it appears that one must delegate as much of the social media work as possible.