I have never made any type of friendship that exists exclusively in cyberspace. The thought has never sounded appealing to me; I honestly would not even know how to begin with that. I don’t add people on Facebook I don’t know, and don’t ever go on any friend/dating websites. I know a few people that have met their spouses/girlfriends and even friends online and some have worked out great and some not so much. I guess the thing about cyberspace is that if you are looking for something in particular, the chances that at least one other person in the world is looking for the same thing is pretty high. I guess I personally am old fashioned. I will make friends with strangers at coffee shops that seem nice or in my classes (not online) but I have never made a friend online. I guess in person it is easier to tell what kind of person someone is, there is little editing as far as emotions and looks go. I have found that a lot of people are different even through text, which I am not too fond of either. I like in person and phone call interactions. All of my true best friends, along with my boyfriend of over 3 years have become close by hanging out a lot, and talking on the phone. Essentially, I guess I have not explored the world of cyberspace friendships enough to know what it is like, but I am perfectly fine with that. 

I think way too many people ignore the fact that there is any type of cellular phone etiquette at all, it is very bothersome to see and hear other people’s conversation. I personally also feel like it is unfair to the individual on the other line of the phone if are others are able to listen in on a personal conversation. I usually laugh at funny answering machine jokes, even if it is professional; however I completely understand how that could be a problem or even offensive. Conference calls are tough because there are so many different people, so it is a good idea to follow those rules. I personally have never had the need to fax anything, ever. It does not even cross my mind, but if I did I would make sure it is appropriate and professional, you never know who’s on the other line. Timing calls and faxes I believe is one of the most important things, phone calls in my home have become so disruptive it is almost impossible to go even thirty minutes without a phone call interrupting. Screen names are always a tough one, in the moment I never give it much thought and just go with whatever flows. It is important to realize and know who could be looking at it.

Organizations are tied to the environment in that they cannot survive without a healthy environment. Organizations can often change and destroy their environments so it is important to keep in mind exactly what an organization is linked to. An example that we see every day of an organization being tied to its environment would be schools and the impact they have on the city or town they are in such as the impact of energy, transportation, and housing. It can also create economic and cultural opportunities such as new jobs and an opportunity to meet new people. Since organizations are “not merely a container for behavior,” instead “an organization is literally human  behavior, ” (201) they are held accountable and responsible to hold a certain level of ethics. For example the leaders of a college or university would be held accountable by the community that they are providing a safe learning environment for students, following the codes and regulations of state and federal laws, and also assuring that they are not causing any kind of harm to the rest of the community. It is important to see organizations as not objects, but as a group of individuals instead. 

Best Speaker

       I have heard a few political speeches by people such as Ron Paul, attended womens conferences with powerful speakers, and a few others. Out of all of those I think the one that has had the most effect on me was a sermon that a priest from out of town gave in our local catholic church. I think part of the reason why it had such a great effect on me is because I honestly was not expecting it. I just went to church like I do every Sunday mainly just to please my mom, but instead of feeling disconnected with the people around me, I felt more connected to them than ever before. This priest talked about courage, secrets, and what it really meant to have a happy life. He was not your typical "Catholic priest," he had a darker past that he shared with everyone, and he even had children which is extremely rare for a priest to have. I often saw priests as judgmental old men but this man made me realize  they are just like everyone else. He used examples from the today's world, had a loud strong voice and brought up controversial topics that normally are not brought up in such a conservative, christian environment. I found myself crying, with chills going down my spine and looked around to see many other people were too. I think it is truly amazing if a speaker can evoke that much emotion and have people of all different ages relate to each other and be on the same page.
      I think the worse speaker I ever heard was during a JSA (Junior Statesmen of America) conference in high school. It was obvious the speaker was only talking to receive some sort of credit, not because the felt passionate about the topic at all. I was bored and you could tell everyone else was too. If a speaker is not confident in themselves, there is no way they are going to be able to get through to others.
   
   

Social Constructionist Perspective

      We build words through communication in so  many different ways in the American culture. The use of symbolism is a huge aspect of who we are and how we identify ourselves. We display stickers on our laptops, cars, phones etc that represent parts of who we are.  Often times the media is what helps determine what those symbols mean to us. Another tool that we repeatedly let define our relationships and communications with other people is Facebook. We are connected to so many different people through facebook, that  a lot of them we may not have seen in years, yet we know so many details about their lives it is as if we've been with them every day. The awkward part however, is that if you do tend to run into somebody at the grocery store you are not sure whether or not it would be socially acceptable to comment on their facebook posts, in person. A lot of other cultures depend on facebook for communication as well, but the American culture seems to be in the heart of it all. For many it is a way of staying connected with old friends and family which brings happiness. However it is also too often used as a way of "facebook stalking" someone that in reality you have no business even knowing. 

Hello everybody,
My name is uber. Not really but we'll go with that. I am a full time student at Sierra, I also like to volunteer at a local food closet and tutor spanish. I'm hoping to find a part time job soon. My major in Nutrition and Food Science and I am mainly interested in the community aspects of it. I have taken online classes before and often find that I forget I'm in them. So I decided its best to set a time a few days a week to sit down and work on it, otherwise its hard to stay focused and not procrastinate.
I have taken Public Speaking and loved it, so this is my second communications class and am looking forward to it.