Website Design

The digital world is only as good or bad as we make it. Josh Ochs writes, "online social norms are still being decided by you, and people like you." Och explains that this gives us much more control than we might think.

I have created the following info graphic to display his 10 rules that conscientious internet users can ask themselves when evaluating their posts:

Educators, students, and parents are learning about responsible internet use. Critically, this requires contentious digital citizens to develop reliable information about someone before doing business with them.

"The true real identity movement will occur when we begin to see the aggregation of information from all of the sites that you use come together to create not only a verified identity, but a robust, data-based, reputation."

With Peer-to-Peer transactions on the rise, the impact of the internet on real life will continue to increase. The internet will act as a powerful deterrent to bad behavior, with the potential to encourage people to treat one another better, online and off, because their online reputations will matter so much.

Most importantly, the author reminds readers to embrace the changing environment of the internet by being a conscious creator of content. He closes on a positive note, writing "your online reputation will increasingly affect your life. Don't just avoid having a bad one, but actively building a good one."

Augmented and Virtual Reality

What is the difference between AR and VR? This article explains: virtual reality creates a totally immersive simulation, and augmented reality adds labels, captions, and other helpful overlays to a user’s view of his environment. In class, we had the opportunity to experience augmented reality ourselves!

We discussed apps like Office Lens, Bing Translate which can be used to aid everyday professional and personal tasks. We also explored Quiver Vision, Zoo Kazam, and Merge Cube, which can be used for educational purposes and bring a diagram to life. 

QuiverVision

I had the opportunity to try on VR goggles and receive a short training on how VR can be used in practical application. The most fascinating part of the experience for me was the medical demonstration. I felt like I was really in the room - it is easy to imagine getting very comfortable wearing the goggles for extended periods of time.

VR allows trainees to retain information better than they could from traditional books or manuals. AR can help increase our attention spans.The cost of VR equipment remains a barrier, and there is discussion that using the headsets for longer than an hour can cause the user to become disoriented.

The article explains that the scanning technologies have improved, but how that image is displayed has remained the same since the 1950s.

Imaging can now be performed in real time at the point-of-care during procedures, both big and small. AR could be used in surgeries and other technical procedures to increase the surgeon's accuracy by overlaying the patient's scans on their body, allowing the surgeon to focus without having to turn their head back and forth between a 2D image and the patient. This also reduces cost by making better use of the display screens.

Further, "AR’s potential ability to concurrently display imaging data and other patient information could save lives and decrease medical errors." While the future looks bright, "It will take gifted computer scientists and visionary physicians to make augmented reality an actual reality in medicine." The authors write that their hope is that AR in health care will be just as commonplace as use of a stethoscope.

AR also has something to offer for the general public. Target now allows customers, via AR, to see what furniture will look like in their space before purchasing it. Customers start by taking a photo of their space. This article explains, "when you choose a virtual item from the product list, just tap "See it in your space" and position and scale the couch wherever and however you want." From there, customers can add the item to their cart. 

Preview of Target's AR app

Interview Roundtable

According to this article, sending a thank you note after an interview is polite and indicates that someone wants the job. Sending a short note says that the applicant not only have good manners but also resourceful enough to find the email address for the interviewer, something they likely weren’t given. Taking this initiative can be helpful in ensuring an applicant is remembered in a positive way. They suggest sending a short note 24-48 hours after your interview thanking the interviewer for taking the time to talk and briefly reminding them why the applicant would be a good fit for the job.

The S.T.AR. interview method allows an applicant to organize important data points about their strengths into a series of tiny stories that accentuate how good they are at their job. The author suggests that using this method allows an applicant to show the interviewer “far more data to work with than a line on a resume”. The method and its advice is outlined for applicants below:

Situation: Relate a previous experience to the interview question. For example, one could say “I was on a tight deadline for a project a year ago — we had to get X project out before X time.”

Task: Explain in detail what needed to get done. For example, “I had to put together X number of slides or make X number of phone calls.”

Action: Explain how you solved that problem.

Result: Now, mention all the good things that happened because you took action.

This article lists some fashion pitfalls applicants should avoid during their interview. Clothing that is too flashy, bright, or busy can draw negative attention. Showing too much skin is another mistake, so applicants should lean towards slightly conservative outfits to leave a good impression on the interviewer. Wearing heavy perfume or cologne can be distracting and even change the mood of the interview. Striking a balance between very casual or ill-fitting clothes and overly sophisticated is important for making a good first impression. The author suggests that applicants should use makeup strategically, aiming to look natural and smart without heavy makeup and jewelry. Finally, dirty or wrinkled clothing is inappropriate and should always be avoided.

Our class had the opportunity to join in on an Interviewing Roundtable with Don Rescigno of Insight Advance and Elana Leoni, CEO of Leoni Consulting Group. I took the following notes on our discussion. I chose to focus on how I can present the best version of myself in interviews.