Google Voice

More on this later, but I really like this article on easing the transition to Google Voice:

http://bit.ly/QyL6F

Interesting SM video

While you can't use this to justify a shotgun approach to social media, it is a great compilation of statistics demonstrating why we should be meeting our university constituencies on THEIR level.

How can we use these tools to engage them in a meaningful way?

Technology headaches: Connecting my iPhone to our university system

If you're like me, you have to deal with the extremely frustrating process of trying to match the service you have with what you want.
Last August I bought an iPhone for work, but had no way to easily integrate it into our Oracle Calendar system. I simply wanted mobile, editable access to both my e-mail and calendar; while the web/online interfaces worked, they didn't seamlessly integrate. I couldn't just open my calendar app and have it populated with that day's events.
I tried searching all over the web, and unfortunately, there was an utter void when it came to the subject. Everyone was asking how but no one had the answers.
So, in service to those who'd like to connect their Oracle Calendar to their iPhone, I developed the following work around. It requires these tools (all links are to external sites):

1. Oracle Connector for Office (OCFO), downloadable here.
   
2. Calgoo Connect, downloadable here, or Google Calendar Sync, downloadable here.
   
3. A Google account (mail and calendar).
   
4. An iPhone.
5. Outlook 2007 or 2003.
   
6. A NuevaSync or Google Sync account.
   

Graphically, this is what will happen (click to expand):

From Blog

Here are the steps to syncing nirvana:

1. Sign up for a Google account, if you haven't already, and start a calendar and gMail account.
   
2. Back up your existing iPhone contacts, and export them to your desktop.
   
3. Import your contacts to gMail. If you have a Mac (or PC), you can do this fairly easily by setting them up to sync with Google. Mac instructions, PC instructions.
   
4. Set up your iPhone to sync with Google.
   
5. Install the OFCO; contact your system admin for instructions (sometimes you can find this by peeking in your Oracle's menu: Tools > Manage Connections… > click your connection > click edit > copy information down). This will two-way sync between Outlook and Oracle Calendar.
   
6. Install Calgoo Connect or Google Sync. A tip for those, like me, who already had data on their calendar: unless you want everything duplicated, Calgoo is the better option. Unfortunately, Google is more likely to update their software someday (Calgoo hasn't since September 2008). Pick the lesser of two evils.
   
7. Set up Calgoo or Google Sync to sync with your MS Outlook.
   

This should set everything up so you have two-way, up-to-date, editable calendar information. Added bonus: it gives me access to my Oracle calendar while on the road.

Comment if you have questions, I'm happy to help!

Hello.

The purpose of this blog is to examine this question:

Within the framework of changing demographics and technology, what does advancement need to do to maintain its relevance in the future and increase its effectiveness?

Advancement faces huge challenges in the coming years. To name just a few:

* Cell phones: a National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) showed that more than 20 percent of homes had only wireless telephones. Adults in the 25-29 age segment were even higher - 41.5 percent of that group had wireless phones only. How do we engage this highly mobile group? How do we maintain a relationship with them? How do we contact them for fundraising or alumni events? Better yet, how do we prepare for new technological challenges, such as Google Voice?

* Interactive media: it seems like every organization is trying to figure out how to use Facebook, Twitter, and other so-called 'social' media to engage their constituents. Higher education's approach to this method has been very experimental; best practices and standards are difficult to find. What are the answers? How do we *engage* with our constituencies in a meaningful way?

*Message exhaustion: how many times can we say “your gift makes all the difference” before our constituencies stop believing it? Haven’t we all seen the same messages stated over and over? Where are the new ideas?

We’ll take a look at these subjects and others as we work together to analyze the New Advancement.