Module 1 PDF

Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Course Title: Social & Professional Issues In addition to technical skills, an IT professional must understand the social and professional c...

Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Course Title: Social & Professional Issues In addition to technical skills, an IT professional must understand the social and professional context of information technology and computing, and adhere to ethical codes of conduct. This knowledge area covers the historical, social, professional, ethical, and legal aspects of computing. It identifies how teamwork is integrated throughout IT and how IT supports an organization. It also stresses professional oral and written communication skills. Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Time Frame: Course Objectives: 1. Describe positive and negative ways in which computer technology (networks, mobile computing, cloud computing) alters modes of social interaction at the personal level. 2. Determine several social and professional issues in Information Technology. 3. Identify possible risks and solutions on social and professional issues. 4. Determine how other concepts learned in the degree program affect individuality in future profession. MODULE INTRODUCTION Description This module is mainly created for the second year Bachelor of Science in Information Technology students enrolled in this course as required in the curriculum based on CMO No. 25, S. 2015. Objectives Upon completion of this module, the successful student will be able to: Identify best alternatives to communicate professionally. Understand the importance of teamwork as well as its basic concepts and issues. Identify the basic social context in computing. Determine other professional and social issues and how to address them. Discussion Topics 1. Professional Communications 2. Teamwork Concepts and Issues 3. Social Context of Computing 4. Intellectual Property 5. Legal Issues in Computing 6. Organizational Context 7. Professional and Ethical Issues & Responsibilities 8. History of Computing 9. Privacy and Civil Liberties CHAPTER 1: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS 1|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Core Learning outcomes: 1. Prepare and deliver an oral presentation for a user audience. 2. Prepare and deliver an oral presentation for a management audience. 3. Write a technical memo to management. 4. Create user documentation for an IT system. 5. Create a set of technical requirements for an IT system Recap: Reference: http://solr.bccampus.ca:8001/bcc/file/0382aa4c-e64e-469a-b64b36fd38ccd81b/1/eTextbookPart1Foundations%20%28PDF%29.pdf Foundations of Professional Communication The chapters in this module include: Introduction to Communication Getting to Know Your Audience Choosing a Communications Channel Crafting Your Message with Plain Language A Picture Is Worth 1,000 Words: Using Visuals From Shotgun to Boomerang: Using Feedback INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNICATION Learning Goals: a. describe the communication process and the eight elements of communication listed in this chapter, and b. categorize given premises as one of the eight elements of communication. COMMUNICATION The word communication is derived from a Latin word meaning “to share.” Communication can be defined as “purposefully and actively exchanging information between two or more people to convey or receive the intended meanings through a shared system of signs and (symbols)”. The Communication Process Reference: https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/elements-of-communication-process/ 2|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Elements of Communication Process In the process of communication, at least two persons are required: Sender and Receiver. The process of communication begins when a sender wishes to convey some idea, facts, information or opinion to the receiver. The idea is conceived by the sender and is put in such terms that can be conveyed. He decides the channel of communication and conveys the idea. The idea is received by the receiver, and after understanding the idea, action is taken according to the information or direction received from the source. The process of communication involves the following steps: 1. Sender The person who conveys his thoughts, message or ideas to the receiver is known as the sender. He is at the starting point of the communication system and represents the source of communication. E.g., In a classroom, a teacher is a sender. 2. Message The subject matter of communication is termed as messages. It includes ideas, feelings, suggestions, order, etc., which a sender wants to convey to the receiver. 3. Encoding The process of converting messages into communication symbols, which may be understood by the receiver. It includes words, pictures, gestures, symbols, etc. Encoding translates the internal thought of the sender into a language which can be understandable. 4. Media The path, channel or medium through which encoded message is transmitted to the receiver is known as media. It is the carrier of the message. It can be in written form, face to face, through telephone, letter, internet, etc. 5. Decoding 3|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben The process of translating the encoded message into an effective language, which can be understood by the receiver is known as decoding. In this, the encoded symbols of the sender are converted. 6. Receiver The person who receives the message of the sender is known as the receiver. E.g., Students are receivers in the classroom. 7. Feedback In order to complete the process of communication, feedback is essential. The process of reversal of communication in which the receiver expresses his reaction to the sender of the message is known as feedback. Feedback ensures that the receiver has received and understood the message. 8. Noise Any construction or hindrance which hampers the communication process is known as noise. The hindrance may be caused to the sender, message or receiver. It acts as a barrier to effective communication and because of this message is interpreted differently by the receiver. Disturbance in the telephone line, inattentive receiver, faulty decoding, poor internet connection, improper gestures and postures, etc., are some examples of noise. Getting to Know Your Audience Learning Objectives: a. categorize specific elements of a given communication scenario to the stages of the acronym AUDIENCE, b. write a complete audience analysis detailing each part of AUDIENCE for a given communication scenario by briefly describing the purpose of a communication and the characteristics of an audience, c. write a complete audience analysis detailing each part of AUDIENCE for a specific communication task (e.g., letter writing, presentation, etc.). Framing the Audience Analysis The communications landscape changes rapidly over time, but one criterion for successful communication remains the same: the importance of knowing who your audience is and understanding their needs. Situation: “Imagine you want to give a presentation to people in your department at work. You likely know your colleagues’ personalities and what they expect of you. You might know their education levels and you are sure they understand all of your company-specific jargon. You think delivering your message should be easy, except many of them are so comfortable with you, they decide to skip your presentation because you took for granted that they would be interested. On the other hand, if you had to present to the board of directors, you might need to do 4|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben more homework on who they are and what they expect from you. In other words, it is always important to get to know your audience as much as possible to give yourself the best chance at communicating successfully.” Identifying your Primary, Secondary, and Hidden Audiences Your audience is the person or people you want to communicate with. By knowing more about them (their wants, needs, values, etc.), you are able to better craft your message so that they will receive it the way you intended. Your success as a communicator partly depends on how well you can tailor your message to your audience. Your primary audience is your intended audience; it is the person or people you have in mind when you decide to communicate something. However, when analyzing your audience, you must also beware of your secondary audience. These are other people you could reasonably expect to come in contact with your message. For example, you might send an email to a customer, who, in this case, is your primary audience, and copy (Cc/carbon copy:) your boss, who would be your secondary audience. Beyond these two audiences, you also have to consider your hidden audience, which are people who you may not have intended to come in contact with your audience (or message) at all, such as a colleague who gets a forwarded copy of your email. CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING What is a primary audience? What is a secondary audience? What is a hidden audience? What are explicit expectations? What are implicit expectations? Explicit expectations: - specific targets that customers are looking for when they seek out your product or service. - “musts” that every customer has in mind before making a purchase decision and that they explicitly express while interacting with you. Example: price, quality, or delivery time Implicit expectations: - unspoken assumptions 5|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Example: Regular customers should get priority, or you should know their sales history with you. A Tool for Analyzing Your Audience To help you get to know your audience even more, we will begin by working through a set of steps that, together, spell the acronym AUDIENCE. These steps will give you an idea of what questions to ask and what information can be useful in better connecting with your audience. A = Analyze. Who is/are the recipients of your message? U = Understand. What is their knowledge about your intended message? D = Demographics. What is their age, gender, education level, position? I = Interest. What is their level of interest/investment in your message (What’s in it for them?) E = Environment. What setting/reality is your audience immersed in, and what is your relationship to it? What is their likely attitude to your message? Have you taken cultural differences into consideration? N = Need. What information does your audience need? C = Customize. How do you adjust your message to your audience? E = Expectations. What are your audience’s expectations? Example: Search and read the article “Straight Outta Sunnyvale: Yahoo manager gone after racially-charged e-mail” [http://bit.ly/1Qyqdyy]. Answer the following questions: a. Who was the primary audience for his original email? b. Who was the secondary audience? c. Who was the hidden audience? d. Assuming he did an audience analysis, was it effective? Why or why not? e. What elements of AUDIENCE might he have considered in advance to get a better outcome? Answer: To further answer the questions above, we can use the AUDIENCE form to analyze the audience in this scenario and provide a revised message. Analyze Who will receive your message? Primary: Yahoo employees working on the Daily Fantasy Football development team. Secondary: Other Yahoo employees. Hidden: Anyone the email could be forwarded to. 6|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Understand What do they already know or understand about your intended message? Primary: Understands the technical details of Fantasy football. Secondary: May have heard of the project. Hidden: Knows little of the technical details. Demographics What is their age, gender, education level, occupation, position? Primary: 20s, 30s, 40s, White/Asian male, educated with bachelors’ or technical degrees and above; mostly IT developers. Secondary: Various ages, gender, mostly educated, and in various positions. Hidden: Likely an American resident Interest What is their level of interest/ investment in your message? (What’s in it for them?) Primary: Very invested (I’m their boss!). Secondary: Mild interest if they like Fantasy football or the technology behind it. Hidden: Not very invested. Environment What setting/reality is your audience immersed in, and what is your relationship to it? What is their likely attitude to your message? Have you taken cultural differences into consideration? Primary: Developer setting. Can speak the same IT and corporate culture jargon. Likely to be open to my message because of my position. Secondary: Corporate setting; professionalism expected because of my position. Some may find it funny; others may find it offensive. There may be different corporate cultures in different departments. Hidden: Could be anyone in the world. Some Americans might find it offensive; others might find it funny. Could potentially include Ice Cube, or other Black people. Need What information does your audience need? How will they use the information? Primary: Links to get others to participate in the contest staging. Secondary: Instructions on how to get to the staging area for the fantasy football preseason contest staging and explanation of deposit bonus. Hidden: Information consistent with what they already know about Yahoo’s brand values. 7|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Customize How do you adjust your message to better suit your audience? Primary: Revise to create a more professional tone by removing all references to Ice Cube, hip hop culture, and racially charged elements like Ebonics and the N- word. Secondary: Ensure the contest speaks to the widest variety of employees who can help test the system. Hidden: Ensure Yahoo’s brand is not damaged, by being above reproach. Expectations What does your audience expect from you or your message? Primary: Expects me to be professional and my message to be relevant to their work. Secondary: Expects me to be professional, be competent, and embody company values. Hidden: Expects me to be professional. Revised Message: Subject: Daily Fantasy Football goes live! Greetings, folks. Jerry here. I am proud to announce my team is now ready to bring you what you have all been waiting for: Daily Fantasy Football! Starting today, we are going to have NFL preseason contests on staging. Here is how to play: 1) On Desktop: link 2) On iOS: Download the latest dogfood app, which will point to the staging environment. 3) On Android: not yet available 4) Join the Daily Fantasy Football contest before 4 p.m. today: [link] Please join contests, create contests, invite your friends, and make sure to alert the team at [link] if you find any technical problems. One more thing: The team is also testing out deposit bonuses! For every dollar you put in, we give you another dollar. If you signed up for Fantasy Football, we give you two dollars. It’s easy money! When you spend money on a contest that runs, your deposit bonus becomes real money at a rate of 4 percent. That means, if you enter a $1 contest, you get 4¢ from your bonus. So, try that out and make sure your investment gets returns! So, let’s go for the win-win. Play dogfood Daily Fantasy football so we can all have fun and make some money while we’re at it. 8|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Cheers, Jerry The Purpose of Your Message When you communicate with an audience, you are normally trying to achieve one or more of the three following broad outcomes: 1. Persuade - convince your audience to do something or take some action 2. Inform - raise their awareness and/or understanding about a situation or issue 3. Entertain - capture their attention in order to distract and delight Choosing a Communications Channel Learning Objectives: a. categorize specific elements of a given communication scenario as verbal, non-verbal, written, and/or digital; b. determine, based on the richness of the communication, if the appropriate communication channel was implemented for a given communication scenario; c. recommend the most appropriate channel(s) for a given communication scenario. Communication channels Communication channels can be categorized into three principal channels: (1) verbal, (2) written, and (3) non-verbal. Each of these communications channels have different strengths and weaknesses, and oftentimes we can use more than one channel at the same time. Verbal Communication Most often when we think of communication, we might imagine two or more people speaking to each other. This is the largest aspect of verbal communication: speaking and listening. The source uses words to code the information and speaks to the receiver, who then decodes the words for understanding and meaning. One example of interference in this channel is choice of words. If the source uses words that are unfamiliar to the receiver, there is a chance they will miscommunicate the message or not communicate at all. The formality of vocabulary choice is another aspect of the verbal channel. In situations with friends or close co-workers, for example, you may choose more casual words, in contrast to words you would choose for a presentation you are making to your supervisors. In the workplace the primary channel of communication is verbal, much of this communication being used to coordinate with others, problem solve, and build collegiality. 9|Page Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Challenge: Tongue Twister Tone One element of verbal communication is tone. A different tone can change the perceived meaning of a message. The table below, “Don’t Use That Tone with Me!” demonstrates just how true that is. If we simply read these words without the added emphasis, we would be left to wonder, but the emphasis shows us how the tone conveys a great deal of information. Now you can see how changing one’s tone of voice can incite or defuse a misunderstanding. Placement of Emphasis Meaning I did not tell John you were late. Someone else told John you were late. I did not tell John you were late. This did not happen. I did not tell John you were late. I may have implied it. I did not tell John you were late. But maybe I told Sharon and José. I did not tell John you were late I was talking about someone else. I did not tell John you were late. I told him you still are late. I did not tell John you were late. I told him you were attending another meeting. Non-Verbal Communication What you say is a vital part of any communication, but what you don’t say can be even more important. Research also shows that 55 percent of in-person communication comes from non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, body stance, and smell. According to one study, only 7 percent of a receiver’s comprehension of a message is based on the sender’s actual words; 38 percent is based on paralanguage (the tone, pace, and volume of speech), and 55 percent is based on non-verbal cues such as body language (Mehrabian, 1981). Research shows that non-verbal cues can also affect whether you get a job offer. Judges examining videotapes of actual applicants were able to assess the social skills of job candidates with the sound turned off. They watched the rate of gesturing, time spent talking, and formality of dress to determine which candidates would be the most successful socially on the job (Gifford, Ng, and Wilkinson, 1985). For this reason, it is important to consider how we appear in the professional environment as well as what we say. Our facial muscles convey our emotions. We can send a silent message without saying a word. A change in facial expression can change our emotional state. Before an interview, for example, if we focus on feeling confident, our face will convey that confidence to an interviewer. Adopting a smile (even if we are feeling stressed) can reduce the body’s stress levels. 10 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Body Language Generally speaking, simplicity, directness, and warmth convey sincerity, and sincerity is key to effective communication. A firm handshake given with a warm, dry hand is a great way to establish trust. A weak, clammy handshake conveys a lack of trustworthiness. Gnawing one’s lip conveys uncertainty. A direct smile conveys confidence. All of this is true across North America. However, in other cultures the same firm handshake may be considered aggressive and untrustworthy. It helps to be mindful of cultural context when interpreting or using body language. Smell Smell is an often overlooked but powerful non-verbal communication method. Take the real estate agent who sprinkles cinnamon in boiling water to mimic the smell of baked goods in her homes, for example. She aims to increase her sales by using a smell to create a positive emotional response that invokes a warm, homelike atmosphere for her clients. As easy as it is for a smell to make someone feel welcome, the same smell may be a complete turnoff to someone else. Some offices and workplaces in North America ban the use of colognes, perfumes, or other fragrances to aim for a scent-free work environment (some people are allergic to such fragrances). It is important to be mindful that using a strong smell of any kind may have an uncertain effect, depending on the people, culture, and other environmental norms. Eye Contact In business, the style and duration of eye contact people consider appropriate varies greatly across cultures. In the United States, looking someone in the eye (for about a second) is considered a sign of trustworthiness. Facial Expressions The human face can produce thousands of different expressions. Experts have decoded these expressions as corresponding to hundreds of different emotional states (Ekman, Friesen, and Hager, 2008). Our faces convey basic information to the outside world. Happiness is associated with an upturned mouth and slightly closed eyes; fear, with an open mouth and wide-eyed stare. Flitting (“shifty”) eyes and pursed lips convey a lack of trustworthiness. The effect facial expressions have on conversation is instantaneous. Our brains may register them as “a feeling” about someone’s character. Posture The position of our body relative to a chair or another person is another powerful silent messenger that conveys interest, aloofness, professionalism—or lack thereof. 11 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Head up, back straight (but not rigid) implies an upright character. In interview situations, experts advise mirroring an interviewer’s tendency to lean in and settle back in her seat. The subtle repetition of the other person’s posture conveys that we are listening and responding. Written In contrast to verbal communications, written professional communications are textual messages. Examples of written communications include memos, proposals, emails, letters, training manuals, and operating policies. They may be printed on paper, handwritten, or appear on the screen. Normally, a verbal communication takes place in real time. Written communication, by contrast, can be constructed over a longer period of time. Written communication is often asynchronous (occurring at different times). That is, the sender can write a message that the receiver can read at any time, unlike a conversation that transpires in real time. There are exceptions, however; for example, a voicemail is a verbal message that is asynchronous. Many jobs involve some degree of writing. Luckily, it is possible to learn to write clearly (more on this in the Plain Language chapter and the writing module). Digital Communication Channels The three principal communication channels can be used “in the flesh” and in digital formats. Digital channels extend from face-to-face to video conferencing, from written memos to emails, and from speaking in person to using telephones. The digital channels retain many of the characteristics of the principal channels but influence different aspects of each channel in new ways. The choice between analog and digital can affect the environment, context, and interference factors in the communication process. Information Richness Information richness refers to the amount of sensory input available during a communication. For example, speaking to a colleague in a monotone voice with no change in pacing or gestures does not make for a very rich experience. On the other hand, if you use gestures, tone of voice, pace of speech, etc., to communicate meaning beyond the words themselves, you facilitate a richer communication. Channels vary in their information richness. Information-rich channels convey more non-verbal information. For example, a face-to-face conversation is richer than a phone call, but a phone call is richer than an email. Research shows that effective managers tend to use more information-rich communication channels than do less effective managers (Allen and Griffeth, 1997; Fulk and Body, 1991; Yates and Orlikowski, 1992). The figure below illustrates the information richness of different information channels. 12 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Like face-to-face and telephone conversation, videoconferencing has high information richness because receivers and senders can see or hear beyond just the words—they can see the sender’s body language or hear the tone of their voice. Mobile devices, blogs, letters, and memos offer medium-rich channels because they convey words and images. Formal written documents, such as legal documents and spreadsheets (e.g., the division’s budget), convey the least richness, because the format is often rigid and standardized. As a result, nuance is lost. When determining whether to communicate verbally or in writing, ask yourself, Do I want to convey facts or feelings? Verbal communications are a better way to convey feelings, while written communications do a better job of conveying facts. Picture a manager delivering a speech to a team of 20 employees. The manager is speaking at a normal pace. The employees appear interested. But how much information is the manager transmitting? Not as much as the speaker believes! Humans listen much faster than they speak. The average public speaker communicates at a speed of about 125 words per minute. That pace sounds fine to the audience, but faster speech would sound strange. To put that figure in perspective, someone having an excited conversation speaks at about 150 13 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben words per minute. Based on these numbers, we could assume that the employees have more than enough time to take in each word the manager delivers. But that is the problem. The average person in the audience can hear 400–500 words per minute (Leed and Hatesohl, 2008). The audience has more time than they need. As a result, they will each be processing many thoughts of their own, on totally different subjects, while the manager is speaking. As this example demonstrates, verbal communication is an inherently flawed medium for conveying specific facts. Listeners’ minds wander. Once we understand this fact, we can make more intelligent communication choices based on the kind of information we want to convey. The key to effective communication is to match the communication channel with the goal of the message (Barry and Fulmer, 2004). Written media is a better choice when the sender wants a record of the content, has less urgency for a response, is physically separated from the receiver, does not require much feedback from the receiver, or when the message is complicated and may take some time to understand. Verbal communication makes more sense when the sender is conveying a sensitive or emotional message, needs feedback immediately, and does not need a permanent record of the conversation. Use the guide provided for deciding when to use written versus verbal communication. Direction of Communication within Organizations Information can move sideways, from a sender to a receiver—for example, from you to your colleague. It can also move upward, such as to a superior; or downward, such as from management to subordinates. The status of the sender can affect the receiver’s attentiveness to the message. For example, a senior manager sends a memo to a production supervisor. The supervisor, who has a lower status within the organization, will likely pay close attention to the message. But the same information conveyed in the opposite direction might not get the same attention. The message would be filtered by 14 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben the senior manager’s perception of priorities and urgencies. Requests are just one kind of communication in a professional environment. Other communications, both verbal or written, may seek, give, or exchange information. Research shows that frequent communications with one’s supervisor is related to better job performance ratings and overall organizational performance (Snyder and Morris, 1984; Kacmar, Witt, Zivnuska and Guly, 2003). Research also shows that lateral communication done between peers can influence important organizational outcomes such as turnover (Krackhardt and Porter, 1986). External Communications External communications deliver messages to individuals outside an organization. They may announce changes in staff, strategy, or earnings to shareholders; or they might be service announcements or ads for the general public, for example. The goal of an external communication is to create a specific message that the receiver will understand and/or share with others. Examples of external communications include the following: Press Releases Public relations professionals create external communications about a client’s product, services, or practices for specific receivers. These receivers, it is hoped, will share the message with others. In time, as the message is passed along, it 15 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben should appear to be independent of the sender, creating the illusion of an independently generated consumer trend or public opinion. The message of a public relations effort may be B2B (business to business), B2C (business to consumer), or media related. The message can take different forms. Press releases try to convey a newsworthy message, real or manufactured. It may be constructed like a news item, inviting editors or reporters to reprint the message, in part or as a whole, and with or without acknowledgment of the sender’s identity. Public relations campaigns create messages over time, through contests, special events, trade shows, and media interviews in addition to press releases. Ads Advertisements present external business messages to targeted receivers. Advertisers pay a fee to a television network, website, or magazine for an on-air, site, or publication ad. The fee is based on the perceived value of the audience who watches, reads, or frequents the space where the ad will appear. In recent years, receivers (the audience) have begun to filter advertisers’ messages through technology such as ad blockers, the ability to fast-forward live or recorded TV through PVRs, paid subscriptions to Internet media, and so on. This trend grew as a result of the large number of ads the average person sees each day and a growing level of consumer weariness of paid messaging. Advertisers, in turn, are trying to create alternative forms of advertising that receivers will not filter. For example, the advertorial is one example of an external communication that combines the look of an article with the focused message of an ad. Product placements in videos, movies, and games are other ways that advertisers strive to reach receivers with commercial messages. Websites A website may combine elements of public relations, advertising, and editorial content, reaching receivers on multiple levels and in multiple ways. Banner ads and blogs are just a few of the elements that allow a business to deliver a message to a receiver online. Online messages are often less formal and more approachable, particularly if intended for the general public. A message relayed in a daily blog post will reach a receiver differently than if it is delivered in an annual report, for example. The popularity and power of blogs is growing. In fact, blogs have become so important to some companies as Coca-Cola, Kodak, and Marriott that they have created official positions within their organizations titled Chief Blogging Officer (Workforce Management, 2008). The real-time quality of web communications may appeal to receivers who filter out a traditional ad and public relations message because of its prefabricated quality. 16 | P a g e Course Title: Social & Professional Issues Course Code: IT 211 Units: 3 units Duration: 54 hours Instructor: Dahlia P. Licuben Customer Communications Customer communications can include letters, catalogues, direct mail, emails, text messages, and telemarketing messages. Some receivers automatically filter bulk messages like these; others will be receptive. The key to a successful external communication to customers is to convey a business message in a personally compelling way—dramatic news, a money-saving coupon, and so on. Customers will think What’s in it for me? when deciding how to respond to these messages, so clear benefits are essential. 17 | P a g e