The Internet is a labyrinth wherein many people get lost or easily distracted. If you find yourself wasting time instead of being creative or efficient, chances are you need two things: knowledge and discipline. There is a time to work and a time to play online. If you aren’t able to set boundaries, perhaps it’s because you don’t know which tools are useful and which are destructive. We’ve taught many people how to communicate to their benefit, especially online. We can help you.We also have helped individuals prepare technologically for careers in mass media or just learn a new hobby. From 13-year-olds creating their very first e-mail accounts and blogs, to 85-year-olds editing their manuscripts on a laptop, our students come from all walks of life. The one thing they have in common is curiosity and a bit of bravado, which is all it takes to tackle cloud applications like Google, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Hootsuite, Skype, YouTube, PayPal, Amazon, Dropbox, Picasa. A bit of practice is all it takes to efficiently use technical tools such as mobile phones, eReaders, webcams, camcorders, routers, notebooks and netbooks.
Students in a Classroom
There are many useful sources of instruction and I’ve gathered a few on this site for one purpose — to allow you to explore and learn about the various media on your own time, and on your own terms. Consider these articles, podcasts and videos as free workshops that you can attend from the comfort of your own home. Many of these lessons are short, so don’t let time or expenses prevent you from learning how to harness the power of the Internet.
Start exploring now by following the topics listed under this WORKSHOPS tab. They include GOOGLE TUTORIALS and WORDPRESS TUTORIALS.
Even more video tutorials are archived under the TV link, viewable in Livestream. Livestream is our Internet TV Station and features videos on a variety of topics. Occasionally, there will be live broadcasts and webinars but, for your viewing pleasure, we have included our video library of Omnibus Workshops, Writers and Authors. You may watch videos that play automatically, ON-AIR, or you may choose the ON-DEMAND option and explore.
A Message from Robin Van Auken
I’ve spent the past 25 years working in the field of communication. But the old ways aren’t working anymore. Textbooks are outdated after one year and this isn’t only relevant in communications but in business, as well.
For example, my work as an online editor means that every day I am creating content or editing content created by my contributors that consists of text, photos, canned video, live streaming video and podcasts. My writers and I produce this content using hardware such as computers and netbooks, iPads, webcams, Flip Videos, standard camcorders and even mobile phones.
In addition to updating and maintaining various web sites, we promote content through applications such as Twitter and Facebook, and communicate with other writers who specialize in blogs. We generate and use RSS feeds. Do you?
There are a variety of social media and Web 2.0 applications and they seem to change in popularity about every few months. How do we know which one is still useful? You need to understand what is available, how to use it, why to use it, when to discard it and start using another, and how not to go crazy in a digital world. If not, you’ll use your computer to stalk old beaus via Facebook or watch puppy cams instead of working productively.
The answer is to take baby steps, always moving forward in your quest to understand what is important today. I’ve collected these helpful videos and articles to empower you with one goal: A rising tide lifts all boats. The more you understand, the better you can work; the more you are helped, the more you can help others. It’s a wiki world we live in so let’s fill it with peace and knowledge.