Almost every time I hear about Twitter it is in conjunction with the name of a popular celebrity. Has Twitter become a platform for the wealthy and influential to proclaim their message? It seems that for the everyday person, Twitter doesn’t allow for much more than quick updates on your day such as “I am going to the grocery store” or “I had a bad day at work” but for actors, athletes and CEO’s it is a forum where they can publish their ideas or thoughts to the millions of people following them. I think that Twitter’s real market is with celebrities and businesses, and not the everyday internet surfer.

Many small companies feel that they are too small or too incapable of developing a website. I know several of my family members are successful entrepreneurs who have not tapped into the resource that is the internet. Convincing small businesses that web-sites are essential to growth and visibility is usually easy but they often claim that they lack the funds or ability. Through this class I have learned that you don’t have to be an expert to create a website. A simple website is fairly easy to create and maintain thanks to the advanced tools now available. Small businesses need to lose the small mindset and get themselves off the ground by getting themselves on the web!

In today’s business world the web is playing an increasingly important role in the H.R. Department. More and more businesses are using online applications and screening questionnaires to sort through the many applicants.

As I have been job searching it has been frustrating that the personal touch has been removed from many job application formats. It is impossible to know someone without talking to them in person!In a business world moving toward technology I think this may be one area where personal interaction is still vitally important.

As more companies develop and sell e-book readers the online book business continues to grow. Initially there were few companies which offered e-book readers, the most notable being Amazon’s Kindle. Since then Apple has developed it’s own e-reader which launched last weekend called the iPad. Book stores like Barnes n’ Noble are also trying to tap into the e-book market with their own e-reader.

The prevalence of e-readers is helping to change the way in which books are read and sold. How will the internet change how companies like Barnes n’ Noble or Borders do business? Only time can tell.

A pioneer in the open domain movement and former chair of Creative Commons, James Boyle has also published a book where he details and explains the problem of the current copyright environment. The book is called “Public Domain” and appropriately enough, is available online for free under a Creative Commons license.

In his book, Boyle talks about the history of copyrighting and patents going as far back as Thomas Jefferson and his views on intellectual property. For those interested in the ideas and philosophies espoused by a site like Creative Commons should certainly take the time to read this informative book.