Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing

Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining needed services ideas or content by soliciting contribution from a large group of people and especially from an online community rather than from traditional employees or suppliers. Often used to subdivide tedious work or to fund-raise startup companies and charities, this process can occur both online and offline. The basic concept is to combine the efforts of crowd of volunteers or part-time workers.

There are three types of crowdsourcing

·        Crowd funding: In this type of crowdsourcing, projects are funded by large group of people for example charities etc

·        Crowdsourced Design: In crowdsourced designs projects are funded to design something. Like a web site, logo etc

·        Crowd wisdom: crowd wisdom is using the wisdom and knowledge of crowd. It exist where users ask questions in front of large group of people who are willing to answer like “yahoo answers”.

Uses of crowdsourcing:

·        Getting feedback. Crowdsourcing has been proved best for simple tasks. For example it is a best option for web designers and designers in general to get feedback on their work before making it public. If you are hiring a designer and you don’t afford to hire a professional than simply putting a competition on any crowdsourcing website can be very helpful for talent hunting.

·        Catagorizing inventory products. If you are starting a new shopping website than you can easily do crowd sourcing and get your inventory categorized by paying few cents.

Advantages and Disadvantages:

Advantages:

·        It makes easier to collect the talent and knowledge of all the people in crowd

·        It is a best tool to have understanding of audience and customers

·        Available in low price as compared to the price of hiring a professional

·        It’s a great opportunity that a large number of people always ready to work for you anytime so real time reponse can be obtained

Disadvantages

·        As it is low cost there is a risk that work may also be less credible as compare to professional work

·        Simple projects are easy to communicate as compare to complicated ones. So the task which are above simple in nature may be risky to crowd source

·        There may arise the problem to manage a large number of workers may be waste more time in managing people rather than solution

·        In some cases it may become difficult to collaborate between crowd members

·        Workers can delay or run anytime they want or your design may be re-soled many times

Myths About Flowers - Part one

 Myths About Flowers 

Part one

1. Anemone

Anemone is derived from Greek word anemos, the wind. This flower is also called the Windflower and Pasqueflower . The Metamorphoses of Ovid tells that the plant was created by the goddess Venus when she sprinkled nectar on the blood of her dead lover Adonis.
Story associated with anemone is the most famous story of Greek mythology. Its about VENUS the goddess of Love and beauty and ADONIS a handsome young man loved by VENUS. 

According to Thomas Bulfinch's famous version of story, 
One day Venus was playing with her son Cupid. Suddenly an arrow of Cupid wounded her. Before the wound healed, Venus saw Adonis and fallen in love with him. She was so much in love with Adonis that she even left doing any of his favorite resorts. She was even becoming absent from her Heaven as Adonis was dearer than heaven. She always wanted to follow Adonis and spend time with him.

Adonis was a strong, handsome man and he loved hunting. Venus was afraid of his hunting as she did not want him to put his life in danger. She charged Adonis with her charm too to keep him far from dangerous animals like wolves and bears. 

She said to Adonis that "be brave towards the timid, courage against the courageous is not safe. Please don't expose yourself to the danger and don't put my happiness in risk. Please dont attack the beasts that nature has armed with weapons. you are so precious so you should not put your life into risk. Your youth and beauty that steal my heart will not charm the hearts of lions and bristly boars. Think of their terrible claws and prodigious strength.i hate whole race of them". Then she told him the story of Atalanta and Hippomenes who were changed into lions for their ingratitude to her.

After giving him warning Venus left and Adonis went for hunting. He was so young, strong and brave that he did not bothered her words. During his hunting his dogs roused a wild boar by their barking. Adonis threw his spear to boar. His spear wounded the animal with a side long stroke. The beast became furious and jumped over Adonis. Adonis turned and ran but the boar overtook him and buried his tusks in his side. Adonis died in few moments.

Venus was on her way to Cyprus. In her way she suddenly heared the groans of her beloved. She quickly turned back to earth. As she came near she saw his lifeless blood bathed body. she came near and beat her breast and torn her hair.she said

“Yet theirs shall be but a partial triumph; memorials of my grief shall endure, and the spectacle of your death, my Adonis, and of my lamentations shall be annually renewed.Your blood shall be changed into a flower; that consolation none can envy me.”

Saying this, she sprinkled nectar on his blood. Within an hour there sprang up a flower of bloody hue like pomegranate. But it was short timed like her love. It is also said that wind blown that time and blown the petals away.so it is called anemone or wind flower.

2.Narcissus/ Daffodils

Story of Narcissus is also very famous and interesting story from Greek mythology. Narcissus was a boy. When he was born he was exceptionally beautiful. His parents became afraid of his exceptional beauty and took him to a wise man for advice. The wise man said them not to be afraid, just treat the boy normally so he don't be conscious about his beauty and feel proud. His parents did the same so the boy was unaware of his exceptional beauty.

One day he was travelling to somewhere, he saw a lake and decided to drink some water. While drinking water he saw his reflection which he never bothered before. Just as he carefully observed his face he became surprised about his own beauty and fell in love with himself.

Narcissus watched and watched himself and could not leave the place. He was watching his face, his features , his complexion everything was so beautiful. He was so much busy in watching himself that he was not aware of his surroundings.

One day a young girl from mountains came there. When she saw Narcissus she fell in love with his beauty. She tried to call Narcissus but he was so busy in watching himself that he did not bothered her voice.

After trying so many times, she came near Narcissus and tried to hug him. Narcissus became furious and said her to leave him alone. The girl was so heartbroken. She left the place and went home and started spending her days in grief. 

One day, Nemeses goddess of revenge came to know about this story and decided to punish Narcissus. She went to the place where Narcissus was watching himself into water

with self-adoration and turned him into a flower. Another version of story says that Nemesis make him realize that what he is loving is only a reflection of himself. So realizing this, Narcissus committed suicide. After his death Narcissus flower grown from the place where his body was lying. Narcissus flowers always sprung beside water and watch down their reflection in water like Narcissus.

Refrences:
http://www.shmoop.com/venus-adonis/myth-text.html
http://www.theoi.com/Flora1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org

Social Media

             Social media is an effective tool for advertising in this communication age. Its more about communicating the customers rather than simply informing. Today’s communication tools are blogs, twitter, facebook, linkedin, and many other require customers engagement in information. An advertise through TV, radio , magazine is just an information whereas a dialogue is created in social media to engage a customer. In other words social media is a media plus a social activity to attract your customers toward your business.

Social media usage could be different depending upon the nature of the business.for example; A retail company use social media to improve customer service listing all the inside and outside activities they are doing for customers. Their all posts show their concern to customer.An insurance company uses it to inform customers about everything it’s doing for community. All the posts would be about events they are sponsoring and contributing in.  Therefore social media is more than listing good or attractive things you are offering. Instead it is about communicating the core concept and message you want to portray about the company.

Guidelines to use social media

There are number of guidelines to use social media. Some of them are

·         All the posts should focus on building a repute and positive image of the company

·         There should not be fake names or accounts to be used as employees which are posting on behalf of company. There must be clearly disclosed that who are posting and what role he plays within organization

·         Customers as a whole should be addressed rather than specifying names unless it is necessary. So that no one feels out of the scene.

·         Posts should be accurate and truthful without factual errors since transparency is a key to build trust.

·         Confidential information or personal communications among employees should not be disclosed.

·         All posts should follow local, state or federal laws if applied

Social media is an essential tools in today’s business so no business can ignore it. Businesses must design proper advertising and communicating ways to attract more people through this effective tool.

How social media could be used by Direct Marketers

Although some companies take social media as only a new channel for building awareness in customers but it has an unbelievable potential for direct marketers. A recent survey of social media tells that direct marketers are incorporating it in their email marketing programs. Companies like amazon are taking big advantages of social media by using twitter to market products and communicate with their large number of followers by its exclusive offers. Dell infact made $2 million in sales by its twitter feed @DellOutlet.

 In fact social media is a very powerful and direct channel of communication. Integrating the two powerful channels of direct marketing , email and social media can make incredible. It allows direct marketers to have more complete and direct view of its customers to deliver relevant and effective information.

            Direct marketing should also be measurable in terms of success. So its very important to keep social media in consideration because social media campaigns can be easily tracked, measured and can be easily improved.