Changes are Coming

I am happy to announce that this website will be moving yet again.  That’s right everyone, soon College Quick Start will be no more.  It’s been fun, it’s been good but it’s time to move on.

I’m in the process of building a website, or at least thinking about being in that process.  All that thought made me realize hey, why not host my own blog? Then I can control everything, exactly how I want.  So that’s what I’m going to do.

I’ll give more information as soon as I have it, there’s a url already set up for the site but I don’t have anything there so I don’t want you to see it yet.  Hopefully within the near future I can transfer all my content here and soon I’ll be back and better than ever.

I Guess Some Assignments Are Important

First things First

It’s kind of an interesting story, actually.  A last minute schedule change and I found myself walking to class in the early morning with a headache and no idea what a new media class was all about.  New media? What, you mean like facebook?

The requirements for the class were simple: choose a project that would allow you to increase you knowledge and control of new media forms, and then work on it for 160 hours over the course of the semester.  That was it.  No tests, no quizzes, no assigned reading.

At first, I had no idea what to do.  But I started making plans, and soon I was knee deep in researching Twitter, analytics, and dozens of other topics that I had never considered before.  I also started paying attention to new ways that people share information and looking for the niche market that I could call my own.  I was learning a ton and loving it.

It’s a novel concept, that a college class could actually help you learn without having tests or even a structure of any kind.  But it totally works.

Does Apple location tracking even matter?

In the aftermath of the most current round of Apple i-phone location tracking, Apple has released a Q&A addressing the issue and what they’re doing to fix it. But the most important question to be answered may still be why does it matter?

Tracking your location: The I-Phone (now in white)

Sure, nobody likes to find out that their favorite little gadget has location tracking software built into it. There have been enough movies made about just that subject that it’s easy to get carried away by visions of corrupt corporations or secret government agencies using it to control your life.

In reality though, what Apple is doing is much less sinister and actually completely normal. So what exactly are they doing with that all-important information? Using it to improve services.

That’s right. The location information (and it’s not your location, by the way, but the location of the closest wi-fi hotspots and cell towers) is sent to Apple completely anonymously and used by them to make their GPS and other services faster. Also, according to their Q&A,

“Apple is now collecting anonymous traffic data to build a crowd-sourced traffic database with the goal of providing iPhone users an improved traffic service in the next couple of years. “

In other words, they want to give you instant traffic updates and to do it, they need your help. Or more accurately, your phone’s help.

The funny thing about this whole situation is that other companies, notably Google, have been doing the same type of thing for years.  The difference here is that no one knew that Apple was doing it, so when they found out they automatically suspected a hidden motive.  Because Apple has nothing better to do that collect random, useless data about where their customers are at all times, right?

But wait.  Is this really a problem? New social media like Foursquare actually asks its users to voluntarily give out their location information, and they do it.  If letting people know where you are at all times is now the trendy thing to do, then maybe Apple just wanted to be a part of the action.  It wouldn’t be the first time.

Yes, Apple made a few mistakes.  Yes, they should have been forthcoming about what information they were collecting.  Does it make a difference to the average iphone user? No.  In a week, a little software update will find it’s way to your phone and quietly fix all the problems.  And by that time, you’ll have already forgotten that there was ever a problem at all.

Wedded Bliss…

For those of you who are not yet married, I highly recommend it. At least, if you’ve been fortunate enough to find someone as awesome as I have to be married to.

You may have noticed that there hasn’t been much in the way of new posts lately, and I’m sure that one look at the title of this one is enough to explain why. I got married!!! on the 9th of April. Between that, a week in San Diego, moving into a new apartment, and starting a new semester of school, I haven’t had time to even think about blogging let alone actually do it.

But I’m back. And I just wanted to say that being married to my best friend has made all the difference in the world. We always laugh and have fun, and even the most mundane tasks are made light. She’s been supportive of everything I do, and it has been a huge help to have someone else to rely on.

It may be a stretch from entrepreneurship to marriage, but I simply can’t imagine taking on any project so big without my wife. She’s a counselor, an assistant, and another perspective on everything. She also makes sure that I don’t take myself too seriously.

So for those of you who are still in school, struggling to figure out how to work everything out and maybe just a little scared of commitment, don’t be. You can do it. And having that special someone to rely on will quickly turn out to be the best thing in your life.

All the best.

Scott

Romance Theater…Upper Valley Idol

The sixth annual Upper Valley Idol competition is in full swing this spring as participants from across the valley come to compete for the top spot.  The competition, which is run much like the ever-popular American Idol TV show, is not only a fun time but also a way to raise money for the Romance Theater restoration project.  Watch the video to find out more.

The Romance Theater has been a community center for decades in the upper Snake River Valley.  A landmark of Rexburg, it has seen consistent use that has taken it’s toll on the building.  Once grand in the old style of the 1920′s, it is now only an old building standing on Main Street.  But the Romance Theater Restoration Project aims to change that.

Started several years ago, the Restoration Project is run by the City of Rexburg with support from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.  The project oversees the restoration efforts, from work on the building to fund-raising events such as the Upper Valley Idol competition.  While many of the project’s efforts go unnoticed, their most recent addition to the theater will be seen by all.

On Friday, the project completed a long-standing goal by installing a brand new marquee on the front face of the building.  Displaying the name “Romance”, it is reminiscent of the old marquee that used to stand in the exact same place.  Those driving down Main Street will now be able to see that the restoration project is indeed getting closer to it’s goal.  Below are several pictures of the marquee.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Upper Valley Idol is for singers from all over, but where do they actually come from? Check out this map to see if any of them are from your hometown.

View Larger Map

Student Profile…David Cichy

David Cichy is a good friend of mine who has spent some serious time as an entrepreneur.  David founded a business while he was still in his early 20′s, put a lot of time into it, and eventually closed it down to move on to other things.  He is now a student at BYU-Idaho, but unlike most business students he’s already gone through the entire process of creating, owning, and managing a business from beginning to end.  Here’s what he had to say about it.

Student Profile: Daniel Harper

Daniel Harper is a student entrepreneur who also happens to be on my team in my Intro to Business class.  We’ve worked together on several projects now, and I was able to ask him a few questions about the business that he founded and helps to run.

Note to Self…

Note to self: Always check the footage before you pack it up and leave.

I almost learned that the hard way today as I filmed a news piece for a class at a vocal competition in Rexburg, ID.  I did an interview with the contest winner, everything looked good, packed it up, and headed out the door.  As I was about to walk away from the theater I just had this feeling to go and check my camera one last time to make sure that I had it.  I didn’t.

For some reason the memory card that I used didn’t record any of the interview.  I’m still not sure why it happened, but luckily I had just enough time to grab my spare (note to self: always bring a spare), set up my stuff, and get the interview I needed.

Moral of the story? Always check.

I-Comm Agency

This is a short news piece that I did about the student-run ad agency on the campus of BYU-Idaho.  These students run a full-service, professional agency that helps clients across the nation. Check it out.

Student Profile…Laura Hernandez

Most of us spend the majority of our college careers planning for what will come and what we want to do in the future.  It’s all about which classes you take, what grades you get, and how long you can put off actually becoming an adult and starting a career.

Enter Laura Hernandez.

Laura is the manager of I-Comm Student Agencies, a full-service ad, PR, web, and video production agency run entirely by students.  Full-service means that clients pay for professional-level results, all created and managed by students.  And Laura is the student in charge of it all.

I sat down with Laura to learn a little bit about what she does and how she got there.  The video will show the highlights from that interview.

Now obviously, Laura didn’t create the I-Comm agencies, she’s simply a terrific manager of an already existing organization.  I chose to include this interview anyway because I felt that what she does is definitely above and beyond the normal expectation for college students.  Each week, Laura is

• Working with real clients who pay real money
• Managing almost 100 students who make up the agency in it’s different functions
• Taking full responsibility for the final product

While the business is not her own, Laura isn’t waiting until she graduates to find a way to use her skills to make a name for herself.  And whether you work for yourself or someone else, that same attitude of dedication and motivation will do a lot to guarantee success.