Be careful what you LIKE

Just 'liked' MacDonalds so you could get that cheeseburger voucher? Now all your friends know it as well. Check your Facebook settings regularly, both the privacy and the account settings. There are quite a few settings under 'account' which have everything to do with your privacy - just check the elements on the left hand side of your screen. One of them is Facebook Ads. If you click on this, check your so-called social ads. If you don't want all your friends to know that you like Tchibo, Sony or MacDonalds, then set it to 'no one'. Often companies and organisations ask you to like them so you get some free deal, or unlimited access to their website resources. After you've liked them, your likes will be integrated in ads which can be shown on your friends' walls - unless you change your settings. Here is a screen grab from my own settings:

 

 

MAKE A POWERFUL POINT

Conferences... what use are these archaic events in this digital day and age where we can find all the information we want at the tip of out fingers? This question has been asked by both speakers and conference visitors in the past years, and usually the outcome was mixed. We've heard most of the input all before, we spend too much on entrance fees, overprized accomodation and bad food, get jetlagged and dramatically increase our carbon footprint.Yet, we are human beings in need of personal contact; we like a drink and a bit of lame gossip, so we keep attending conferences. O yes - and if you're lucky you get inspired. You listen to the likes of Michael Wesch and Sugata Mitra and know that learning has forever been transformed by technology - whether learners and teachers realise it or not - embrace it or not. They are the gems, those rare and wonderful speakers that make you increase your carbon footprint year after year. Certainly, more presenters have a good story to tell, but most spam their own message by putting up a slideshow with one million words and zero visual input. We are not only living in exponential times (as Michael Wesch puts it), we are living in visual times, and we require visual input, like it or not.... Creating powerful slides is not rocket science anyway; below is some visual support which may be useful when you find yourself going to the next conference. Go ahead, make your point: http://www.slideshare.net/Shelearner/make-a-point-presentation-annemieke-akkermans