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Sites with a cause

e-Marketing, keywords, measurable data, social media, twitter Leave a comment

www.NoHomophobes.com

On July 5th 2012, a website was launched by the University of Alberta titled: No Homophobes. As the site states:

“It is designed as a social mirror to show the prevalence of casual homophobia in our society. Words and phrases like “faggot,” “dyke,” “no homo,” and “so gay” are used casually in everyday language, despite promoting the continued alienation, isolation and — in some tragic cases — suicide of sexual and gender minority (LGBTQ) youth.”

The website searches Twitter for 4 words: Faggot, No Homo, So Gay and Dyke. With these Tweets, the site simply compiles a count of the number of times each word is used that day. Below, it posts every single Tweet from people around the world that contains one or more of these 4 words.

What interests me about this site is its ability to show these Tweets in real time. When individuals see the amount of Tweets using homophobic language the instant they happen, the impact is far greater than a simple number that happened yesterday. This impact is heightened when the Tweets are occurring so frequently that they are unable to be read before they have left the screen. In addition to daily statistics, a count is kept of how many Tweets containing each of these 4 words have been posted in the last week and since the site began 3 months ago.

Also of interest is the simplicity of the site. The design and interface is easy to read and understand within seconds of clicking the link. The clever use of colour and the lack of words allows the user to observe the facts and interpret them as they please. Searching Twitter for 4 words and plotting their use over time is such a simple concept yet so powerful. Like most people, I was absolutely shocked at the volume of homophobic remarks on such a global social platform. A site like this compiles all of these Tweets and displays them in a meaningful way that sparks a multitude of emotion. I think the success of this site lies in the volume of Tweets. When individuals see a single homophobic remark on their Twitter feed, it is unlikely to spark much emotion. However, when placed side by side and tallied throughout a day reaching numbers of over 60,000, the affect of these Tweets multiplies and demands action. This site provokes thought and demands change.

Search Process

advertising, e-Marketing, keywords, search engine Leave a comment

4 Step Process to Information

Step One: An idea. All searches, big or small, start with an idea. Ideas stem from a myriad of possibilities:   problems, curiosities, needs, wants, desires and the list goes on. Searchers conclude that using a search engine will provide the most efficient results in their quest for answers, and so step two begins.


Step Two: Search Engine Selection. Whatever the trigger, Google is the search engine of choice by 66% of searchers, followed by Bing with a mere 15%.* Google’s capacity to filter the most relevant websites from an infinite abyss of information is unparalleled by any search engine.

Step Three: Word Selection. Refining a search using precise, keywords ensures that optimal results are achieved. For example, when looking to purchase a new television, keywords such as: television, flat screen and Vancouver would be preferable. Specifying a location significantly narrows search results and complements the other precise keywords. Based on these keywords, Google offers a list of websites in order of relevance.

 

Step Four: Website Selection. The conclusion to a successful search is the selection of a website. Assuming websites are selected based on their relevance to the search, it is likely that desirable results can be found on page one. Each page offered by Google begins with paid advertisements set on a yellow background. Below these advertisements are results ordered by perceived relevance. Each website is followed by a brief 1-2 sentence summary of the websites content. When users see a promising website, a world of useful information is simply a click away.

Although this process seems detailed and long-winded, Internet savvy individuals travel from steps 1 through 4 in a matter of seconds. This process has become second nature and will continue to increase in simplicity as technology advances.

*http://www.pcworld.com/article/254405/bing_versus_google_search_engine_showdown.html