Is the Jawbone Wristband the Future of Healthcare?

Can a wristband monitor your health?

A new product from Jawbone is making waves in the healthcare industry. It's a bendable, waterproof wristband that people can use to track their health stats and keep track of how much exercise they get throughout the day.

The wristband is called The Up and it connects with an app on the iPhone (even though an Android app is in the works) using a small audio jack hidden under a silver cap on the end. In addition to syncing the wristband to their smart phones, users also have to charge the device by plugging into a USB connector every week or so.

The wristband keeps track of how often its wearers sleep and exercise. It monitors the wearer's movements and can tell when they are asleep. As an added plus, you can set an alarm and the wristband will wake you up with gentle vibrations. In addition, it monitors how deeply you sleep and picks a time closest to your desired awake time, attempting to wake you when your sleep is at its lightest.

The Up also keeps track of how much you move during the day and logs all of your activity. For example, if you spent the day shopping at the mall, it will track how long you walked and how many miles you went. Along with the smartphone app, users are encouraged to keep a log of the food they eat and how they felt a couple of hours after eating.

The neat thing is that it combines all of this data to help people get a clear idea of their activities. By tracking these activities, users have a comprehensive tool for managing their health information.

Although it has the potential to grow in the future to be a tool that can also monitor blood pressure and sugar levels, for now at least, Jawbone envisions The Up to be a way for people to connect with their friends and share their health data. The iPhone app encourages people to invite their friends and get support for mini-goals. Even though the app isn't integrated with social networking sites like Twitter or Facebook just yet, there is still space to connect with friends inside the app.

Personally, I don't think that I would want to use the wristband and app with my social network. I think that when I sleep and how much exercise I get is way too personal for my Facebook wall. On the surface, it seems innocuous enough, but I can't help but wonder what will happen when I tell my friends that I couldn't go out because I need to sleep and the next day they see several bouts of strenuous activity throughout my night with few sleep hours?

The other downside is that I would have to have friends who have the wristband in order to share the information with them. Without any friends who have it, it would be hard to stay motivated.

The Up retails for $99 and is available at most Apple stores, Targets and Best Buy.

What do you think about this type of health monitoring? Do you see any other applications for this technology in the future? Please share your thoughts and comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for HealthcareJobsiteBlog and Beyond.com.. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Related articles

• Can a Smartphone Make You Stupid? (techcareersblog.com)
• Watson Has Finally Grown Up and is Looking For a Job In Healthcare (healthcarejobsiteblog.com)
• 5 Ways That Technology is Changing Healthcare (healthcarejobsiteblog.com)

Hanging out at the conventions

This might just be my lucky month. Two professional organizations in my field (well, one of my fields) are meeting here in Philadelphia, which means there's opportunity to build new professional and personal connections and maybe even find decent work.

Ever since de Tocqueville, visitors to this country have marveled at our propensity to form associations around common interests and concerns. For job seekers, professional associations can be a valuable source of leads, support, information and scuttlebutt about the state of their industry, craft or trade. Career fairs are also often part of the offerings at association conventions, providing chances for direct personal contact with potential employers.

There is a hitch, however. These conventions are usually open only to members of the association who have registered and paid a fee, and even events open to nonmembers usually charge admission.

As with so much else, however, there are ways to get in on the action at a discount. One of the best is to volunteer. Most professional conventions could not happen without the efforts of volunteers who help with crucial day-to-day and behind-the-scenes tasks. Volunteers are often allowed to attend many regular convention events for free as a token of gratitude.

Another, for the socially inclined, is an indirect method: hang out at the convention hotel. Convention participants often relax in the hotel's lounges and bar when not attending events, and it is often possible to strike up conversations with them.

And while these events are usually national in scope, they usually are organized with the help of a local host committee, whose members might even be willing to help fellow locals with their search for local jobs.

I plan on finding such people, and maybe even reconnecting with people I have lost touch with, at both the National Association of Black Journalists convention, which will have packed up by the time you read this post, and the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association confab, coming to Philly at the end of the month. Ill keep you posted on how things go.

Do you find professional conventions useful as job search aids? Have you ever attended one with that goal uppermost, and if so, did anything come out of your attendance? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

By Sandy Smith

Sandy Smith is a veteran freelance writer, editor and public relations professional who lives in Philadelphia. Besides blogging for PhillyJobs.com, he has written for numerous publications and websites, would be happy to do your resume, and is himself actively seeking career opportunities on Beyond.com. Check out his LinkedIn profile and read his other posts on PhillyJobsBlog.com.

Are Men Better At Social Networking? LinkedIn Says "Yes"!

Are men really better at social networking?

Are you a woman? Do you use social networking sites like LinkedIn? If so, you might be part of a growing minority.

According to a recent survey conducted by LinkedIn, it seems that while most professionals know how valuable the professional networking site is when it comes to finding a job, many women still aren't “getting” LinkedIn.

LinkedIn's study compared the usage habits of both men and women on its site and compiled an extensive report. They found that on average, men are doing better at making connections and furthering their careers through social networking.

The site's study suggests that women are more reluctant to network out of a fear of being pushy or overly “schmoozey”. I am not sure that I would agree with their findings. Building a social network is all about connecting with people and building relationships before you need them, but what I don't understand is how they would measure what “effective networking” is.

As I looked into their criteria further, it seems that they measure successful networking by the percentage of one-way connections that men have versus the ones women have. Next, they look at the ratio of men to women on the site.

The thing is, out of all of the social networking sites, women seem to be joining LinkedIn in fewer numbers, even though they dominate other social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. Here is a graphic of how the genders stack up across the world of social media:

As you can see, the LinkedIn is the only site where the majority is male. In an attempt to make their study a little easier to understand, LinkedIn has put together this nice infographic. Take a look:

My issue with the study is that comparing the way that men network with the way that women network is like comparing apples and oranges. Women in general tend to focus more on building actual relationships with others and care less about collecting business cards. Men are typically more straightforward when it comes to networking and are more direct with each other about the process. When women try to imitate this type of behavior, they are often seen as pushy.

Networking is important for any professional, and using sites like LinkedIn can certainly help further a career. They key is to network in a way that feels authentic to you, regardless of gender. And, for the ladies reading this, if you haven't gotten the hang of LinkedIn yet, get back on the site and get networking. If there is a shortage of professional women there, there are bound to be more opportunities.

Do you use LinkedIn? Do you think that men are better at networking? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Online Disinhibition, and Why We Still Say Things We Shouldn't Online

Oversharing on social networking is reaching epic proportions, let's take a look at why.

I know you have heard it before, but no matter how many times it's said, people still keep oversharing on social networking sites. One of the things that have hurt many job seekers and have cost people jobs and even their careers and reputations is saying things online that have come back to haunt them.

If we all know how damning a careless tweet is, why do so many people keep doing it?

It's a really good question. To answer it, we have to look at the psychology of social networking and how it can cause even the best of us to turn off our filters and say things we later regret. The root cause of this phenomena is called the online disinhibition effect; which is basically why, when we log on to the internet, we loosen our ideas about social restrictions and do things that wouldn't be appropriate in a face-to-face interaction.

I'm sure you've seen this in action, on Facebook, Twitter and even comments on websites. People who would never behave in an anti-social manner have no problem making threatening comments on blogs or bullying others through social media. On the flip side, people can also become more emotional, more affectionate and less guarded in their interactions with others. This is why some people say that they have fallen in love with someone based on internet communication.

So, why do we do this? Here are 4 reasons why we behave differently online:

1. We feel anonymous – This isn't always true when it comes to social media, but when commenting on blogs and other websites, people often think that no one will be able to find out who they are. It's easy to forget that even elementary school kids can use Google.
   
   
2. Delayed reactions – When we are talking to people face-to-face we get instant feedback about how our message is being received by the listeners facial expressions or responses. This sort of feedback will cause us to edit our comments or not say something because we are afraid of their judgment. This why we can say things and not realize that they are offensive. Sometimes this can be a benefit, because people who have social anxiety or trouble communicating can find online communication easier.
   
   
3. There are no internet police – The internet is a strange world and there are no cyber-cops to punish bad behavior. For some people, this can make them feel that normal rules don't apply and that they can do whatever they like without consequence. Of course, this is just an illusion because our actions have a real effect on others and we all have an inner-policeman that regulates our behavior, even online.
   
   
4. Assumed intimacy – When we read, we tend to forge emotional bonds with the author, even though we don't know them. This happens when we read novels and even when we read blogs and comments. If you read someones blog (this one, I hope), status updates and/or tweets, it's easy to think that you know them and that you are friends. This can cause you to behave in a much more casual manner than you would otherwise.

It seems that there are many reasons why even good people can sometimes behave badly or overshare online. Hopefully by understanding why this happens, we can prevent ourselves and others from falling into this trap.

Do you have friends that overshare online? Have you ever posted something that you later regretted? I would love to hear your experiences in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

How Did Your Day Go? A New Daily Journal Site Wants To Know

Microblogging has a new incarnation. Meet OhLife, the email based daily journal site.

Keeping track of your daily highs and lows is a great way to celebrate your successes and reminisce about good times in you life. Throughout history, people have kept diaries, and with all of the technology at our fingertips, keeping a daily journal is easier than ever. For some people, keeping track of their job search, their personal growth and even their relationship successes gives them a touchpoint for creating the story of their lives and can serve to be a reminder of what they have been through.

The problem is, it's so easy to forget to update a blog daily, and even a Twitter feed may not contain the things you really want to remember and you're limited to a specific number of characters. Not only that but any social networking site or blog isn't exactly private. To solve that problem, a new website OhLife has an innovative idea to keep people writing. The basic premise is that the site will email their subscribers daily, asking a simple question, “How did your day go?”. Users simply email their response to the question and it gets archived into the user's account. Eventually, people will have enough entries to order a book containing all of their journals.

Because the site was designed to be a place for private thoughts, there is no social component and you can't share your journals with Facebook, Twitter or any other social site. The idea, and the site for that matter, is pretty basic, but it seems to be an idea that could actually work. TechCrunch reported that 50% of people who answer the first email continue to post at least every other day. Speaking as someone who likes to start journals and forgets about them after a week, these numbers are surprising.

It seems like a great idea, but without the social component, it's hard to say if it will gain a very large fan base. But, keeping track of your thoughts while you cope with unemployment, an extended job search or any other stressful period in your life can keep your motivated and help you work through them. For example, when you can go back and see exactly what you were thinking when you decided to apply with a certain company, you can recall the excitement and carry that enthusiasm with you to the interview.

Whether you decide to microblog with a service like Twitter, keep a traditional blog or even a notebook or journal and a pen, keeping a diary can be a lot of fun. I think that just the simple process of spending a small amount of time each day to sort through your activities, hopes and how you feel about them can help you process them and keep your focus on your goals.

I would like to challenge everyone to keep a diary for a month, in whatever format you chose. I'm going try again, and maybe I'll stick to it this time.

Have you tried keeping a journal? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

The Best 8 Tips For Getting a Job When You Have Been Unemployed for a Long Time. Part 1

Getting back on the job market after having been unemployed for a long time can be tough. Here are some tips to help.

When you have been unemployed for a long period of time, trying to find a new job can feel a lot like clawing your way out of a hole. The longer you are out of work, the bigger the hole seems. Climbing out takes strength, determination, a whole lot of help from friends and some hard work. Here are some things that can help you get a leg up on the climb:

• Stop blaming yourself – The past few years have been tough for everyone, and especially those of us who are out of work. Not being able to find a job doesn't mean that you are broken and not worth hiring. The more you beat yourself up, the harder it can be to muster up the enthusiasm necessary to impress an interviewer.
  
• Stop wasting time – When you have been job searching for an extended period, it's only natural to stop giving it your best and just start applying for every job opening you see that is even close to being within commuting distance. Don't let the desperation win. The best way to find a new job is to target openings that are a match for your skills and experience. Then, customize your resume and cover letter to target that particular job. You know this, but when you are feeling beat down and think that it is a waste of time, it is hard to remember.

• Get out and make friends – When you are feeling desperate and start thinking that you need to “beat the streets” until you find something, stop and start looking for networking opportunities. The best use of your time is to make new friends, connect with other professionals and build your network. Getting out and talking to others in your industry will help you get re-energized and can lead to recommendations and insider news about new openings.
  
  
• Talk to your previous employer – The job market is starting to make a rebound, but many companies are hesitant to take on new employees, opting for freelance and temp workers. If you were downsized or laid off at your previous job, it may be a good idea to get in touch with your previous boss or co-workers. If you are willing to take on freelance work, they may be interested in having someone who is already familiar with the company.

Getting back into the work force after a long time of being unemployed is hard, but not impossible. Stay tuned for the next installment, and find out tips 5-8.

What do you think is important when you are trying to get back into the work force? Let me know in the comments.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobsBlog, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Making Your Valentine's Day Special When You Are On A Budget

As busy as we all are, finding time to relax and have fun with our partner is certainly difficult. With Valentine's Day on the horizon, everyone is starting to think about romance. The problem is, the whole point of the day has been lost to commercialism. For most people this year, with so many people out of work and looking for jobs, there just isn't a whole lot left in the budget for grand gestures. But, a lack of money shouldn't stop you from making your Valentine's special.

There are many things that you can do for your partner this year that are either free, or inexpensive. Here are a few ideas from 500 Romantic Ideas, that can give you some inspiration for how to make your Valentine's Day one to remember:

• Go to an arcade. They may be a little harder to find, but they are still around. And, for less than the price of dinner, you and your partner can feel like kids battling each other with Dance Dance Revolution or go head-to-head with a racing simulation game.
  
  
• Check out the bowling alley. Bowling is fun and not as expensive as you would think. Check with your local bowling alley to find out times when they offer discounts or other programs.
  
  
• Board games can be fun. Pull out some old board games, light some candles and just enjoy each other. A bottle of wine and a game of Twister can be very romantic.
  
  
• Write messages on their fridge with magnet letters. You can pick up magnetic letters at almost any dollar store, and if you have kids, there is a good chance you already have plenty.
  
  
• Go to the park and play Frisbee or fly a kite. Even if you haven't done it in years, it can be a lot of fun.
  
  
• Make a pizza together from items you bought at the grocery store and watch old movies.
  
  
• Play 20 questions with your partner. A no rules game can lead to a great night of conversation and closeness.
  
  
• Request “your song” from your favorite radio station, ask if they will dedicate it to your sweetie.
  
  
• Rainy-day puddle-jumping can be a blast. Just make sure you both have appropriate footwear.
  
  
• If you are both book lovers, take turns reading short stories or love stories out loud.
  
  
• Volunteer together.
  
  
• Spend the afternoon in a coffee shop that offers live music.
  
  
• Go ice skating or even roller skating.
  
  
• Try networking – Ask your friends for ideas, and they may know of, or have access to, low cost adventures in your area.

Being on a budget doesn't mean that you can't still find a way to romance your partner. With a little bit of creativity and some planning ahead, you can enjoy the day with your Valentine.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for PhillyJobs and Beyond along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel. You can read more of her blogs on Phillyjobs blog.

Dealing With Social Media Remorse - A New Syndrome For Our Era

I think every single one of us has, at one time or another, said something that we regretted. Maybe we said it to a friend of a friend of the person we were mad at, and it got back to them. Or maybe, it was that time you were angry and said some things in the heat of it that you wish you could take back. It can make you feel awful, and unfortunately, there are people who have this happen to them all of the time. Perhaps they have problems filtering what they are feeling before it comes out of their mouths. But, at the worst, only a few other people would be within earshot when they said it. But now, thanks to social networking sites and micro-blogging platforms like Facebook and Twitter, a lapse in judgment can quickly reach many, many people.

New technology is great, but it has its draw-backs. It is easier than ever to share information and stay connected with the people they care about. But, on the other side, it makes it easy to embarrass yourself on a very large scale.

TechRepublic recently reported on this new “Social Media Remorse” issue. Here are a few of the things they found out:

• 32% of people surveyed say they’ve posted something online they regretted.
• Of that 32%: 3% say it ruined their marriage or relationship with someone. 6% of them said it caused problems at work or home.
• Of that 32%: 13% were able to remove the offending post.
• 59% of iPhone users have posted something online they regretted.
• 54% of people under 25 years old have posted something online they regretted.
• Only 27% of people over age 25 have posted something online they regretted.

It doesn't surprise me in the least that so many people under 25 have reported having posted something online that they regret. When I was in my teens and early twenties, I can think of many times I lost my temper or just wasn't mature enough to keep my mouth shut. But luckily, it wasn't as easy for everyone else to find out. Even when I did have access to the internet, anything I was likely to write wouldn't be nearly as easily accessible as it is now, when status updates and Twitter feeds can be delivered straight to people's mobile phones.

Perhaps their needs to be a device on smartphones that checks a users sobriety level or heart rate and won't allow them to post until they are sober and calm. But, until that happens, it is still a good idea to invest in an actual paper journal, and write down all the questionable tweets and updates you want to post and give them a few hours before you actually post them online. Leaving yourself with a buffer can keep you from suffering the ill effects of “social media remorse”.

Are you looking for a job in Health Care? Be sure to visit HealthCareJobSite.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Protect Your Online Privacy- Part 2

At the beginning of this series, we were talking about the importance of protecting your privacy and being thoughtful about what information you choose to share on social networking sites. It is interesting to note that Mark Zuckerberg, the founder and CEO of Facebook was recently embarrassed when some instant messages he sent to a friend were made public. I can't post them here, due to some questionable language, but in the messages he openly brags about how much information he has on people. When the other person asked him how he got all that information, he says that they "trust him" and he goes on to make a derogatory comment about how stupid the people are for trusting him with their information. I think that says a lot about how he feels about protecting the security and privacy of user's information.

There is this persistent illusion of trust that happens on the internet. There are a few things that you need to know about the companies you give your information to:

• They do not have your best interests in mind- Companies that collect and store your information aren't looking after you, they are trying to make money. When you connect to other sites with your Facebook or other social networking account, you are letting them follow you around and take notes.
  
  
• You are creating a record- It becomes easy to find out more about who someone is when they are connecting their shopping, web surfing, reading and video renting habits to one social networking site. This record then follows you around and could easily be misused. Things that don't seem like they are that important can be misused by someone who doesn't like you. It isn't hard to take some information and re-frame it in a way that make you look bad. And you would have no recourse.
  
  
• When you post information, you give away the rights to it- Take a look at Facebook's privacy policy and read through all 5,830 words. You will be shocked to find out that although the service is free, you have given Facebook the rights to all information you post, and pictures or other media you publish, the sites you connect with. All of it. Once you post it, you can delete it from your profile, but they still own it. Forever.

My point is this, be careful when you post information online. Social networking can be an invaluable business tool and a it can be a great way to interact with your friends. Just, don't let yourself be blinded by the shiny pages and easy to click buttons. Just like you wouldn't go up to a stranger in the supermarket and tell them your full name, give them your cell number, pictures of your kids, your address and tell them about your week long vacation and when you are leaving, you shouldn't do it online. Protect your privacy in the digital world just as diligently as you would in the face to face world.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Check out PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Protect Your Online Privacy- It's More Important Than You Think- Part 1

I have written many articles about social networking in order to build a larger professional network and also to help you find a new job. And it's true. Thoughtful and appropriate use of social networking sites can help you in your job search in many ways. But, it is also important to understand that even though it seems like you are posting information to share with your friends, you are posting it to share with the world.

Protecting your privacy while you are online is a cause that I am passionate about. I have written about it so much that I feel like I am the creepy old dude holding the sign that says “The End is Nigh”. Nevertheless, it is true. We protect our privacy during face to face interactions with all sorts of people, but carelessly disregard it when we use our mobile phones or connect to social media sites.

Information that you post to these sites is available to anyone who cares to look for it. This information, that we can all be so careless with, can damage our life, our careers and our families.

If you think that I am exaggerating or being overly cautious, take a look at OpenBook. Try searching for things like “my number is” and see how many people have their home phone numbers posted for the whole world to see. Not afraid yet? Try searching for “I'm going on vacation” followed by the name of your city. From there, it is just a Google search to find a telephone and address listing to determine which houses are going to be vacant. If you look just a little closer at the person's Facebook photos, you can probably even find pictures of their home's layout and the items they have inside. It is a full color catalog.

Of course, I am not encouraging you to rob people. I am trying to demonstrate how important it is to keep your personal information off of social networking sites. When you use these sites, it is important that you either keep it strictly business or keep it impersonal. If you want to share personal information or pictures of your kids with your friends, consider emailing them.

Protecting your information is crucial. To find out more, look for Part 2 of this series, which will give you the real truth about the companies you are trusting with your information.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Check out PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

How To Create An Alter Ego

In many previous articles, we have talked about the importance of keeping your social networking profiles clear of anything you don't want an employer, or potential employer to see. You can be sure that any company that is considering hiring you is going to, at the least, perform a Google search on you to find out who you are and will be evaluating your social networking presence. It doesn't matter if you think it is fair or not, the truth is that they will.

So, what if you want to be controversial on the internet, and also want to have a job? For some people, cleaning up their internet presence is enough, but there are others who don't want to stop trolling, posting drinking pictures, making lewd comments to friends and so on. I can respect that, in a way. Some of the most influential people in history have been ones whose views were considered “inappropriate” at the time. So, if you want to keep your conduct off the radar, here are some tips on how to go about it.

• Create a new identity- Pick a name. Any name. Try to come up with something you can live with and try to make it at least close to being a real name. For example, Skilover isn't your best choice. Sam Slopes might be a bit better. If your name doesn't fit a traditional name format, you may have trouble on some sites, so stick to a first and last name.
  
  
• Create a backstory- Now that your identity has a name, it needs a date of birth, a gender and city and state. It may be easier to use your own city, state and gender (you don't have to), but be sure to change the date of birth. You may want to decide what sort of education this person has an where they went to school. If it isn't important for you to connect with previous classmates, then it may be better to skip that information entirely.
  
  
• Make a new email address- This is very important. Don't think that you can use your personal email address on this, it will blow your cover fast. So set up a new email account using a free provider, such as Gmail or Yahoo.
  
  
• Build Social networking profiles- Make a Facebook for your identity. Here, you may or may not want to invite your personal friends or your family. If you add your friends, there is a good chance that someone in your friend's circle will recognize you. To be completely off the radar, try not to add them, but if you do, make sure that they know that you don't want your accounts to be connected in any way.
  
  
• Never break character- You can do as you like online with the new identity, but be sure never to break character. Don't forward the new email address to your old one. Be careful to keep your professional accounts completely separate. I know some people who even go so far as to use a different browser for their alter ego.

With these tips, you should be able to have a little bit of anonymity, but please know that these are just a few helpful hints, and there is still a chance that you could be found out. Depending on what sort of behavior you are trying to keep quiet, you may be slightly embarrassed or a little humiliated. If your life would be ruined if your alter ego was discovered, think long and hard about if it is worth the risk. If it is just a matter of wanting to have some privacy, and the risks of being found out aren't too high, there is certainly nothing wrong with having an alter ego online. So be careful and have fun.

Are you looking for a new job in Philadelphia? Check out PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

The How, And Why, You Need To Embrace Social Network Strategies

Those working in the medical and health field have a formidable competitor these days when it comes to dispensing advice, insight and information about remedies and treatment: the Web.

As a recent article in the Charlotte Observer explains, patients are running to the Internet when they have a medical question, problem or issue and very often take online information as gospel, even when contradictory data is offered up by medical professionals during appointment times.

This means medical professionals are not only trying to educate patients about personal health issues, concerns and what to do, but have to make patients understand that Internet-info may not be all that reliable, trustworthy or factual.

So what can you do when dealing with this issue? Well first, says the article, you can refer patients to reputable and reliable sites such WebMD.com and tell them to make sure any site they use has the Health on the Net seal of approval.

The reason you don’t want to discourage patients from using online resources is simple: many people are already taking Internet data as pearls of wisdom to live by given a survey that shows Google searches come in second after meeting with a doctor on a medical concern.

What healthcare professionals may also want to do, and which could be a professional feather in the career cap, is talk to management and business leaders at their companies about doing some public service initiatives to help patients discern the fact from the false when it comes to Web research on medical topics.

Another potential way to help patients is to provide a social networking presence, whether it is a Facebook page or a Twitter feed, that lets physicians and medical staff offer up suggestions and insights about newly published materials and sites that can help patients make better decisions on care but always with the big caveat of attaining a medical professional’s advice of course.

Social networking efforts can be done without legal and liability issues coming into play, say experts, and provides a valuable add-on service that may make the difference when it comes to retaining patients and boosting patient rosters.

One good example in the article is a look at how the Carolinas HealthCare System has carved out a Facebook strategy that’s working and the challenges inherent in the social networking effort.


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By: Judy Mottl

Dying On Facebook

Have you ever wondered what happens to a social media account when someone dies? Morbid, I know, but in this digital age, it is a good question. I know people who have gone so far as to ask one of their best friends to be their digital guardian and delete their accounts upon their demise. This is a position of trust almost high as being asked to be the godparent to their child. Think about all of the accounts you may have that you might not want your extended family to know about, the online friends you have who you would want to be notified and all of the other digital loose ends you would want taken care of. I am sure that once you start thinking about it, you can see why some people chose to include their digital life in their end-of-life planning.

The people over at All Facebook, the unofficial Facebook blog, have come up with a great infographic to break down exactly what happens to someone's Facebook profile when they die. According to the site, about 200,000 Facebook users die each year, with 550 Faccebook deaths happening daily. It sounds like a high number, but with 700,000 new Facebook activation each day, the ratio is fairly small.

So, what happens to your Facebook account when you die?

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.