Tag: stephenhodgkiss

MarketHive's inbound marketing platform delivers enterprise class internet marketing tools coupled with a vibrant social network…all for free!

Built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs, (not opportunity seekers), MarketHive is the solution to all you entrepreneurial, inbound marketing challenges.

MarketHive is the result of over 20 years of online experience dating back to when the internet was at its infancy. Thomas Prendergast a 40 year marketing veteran, and 25 year internet marketing veteran has built the most powerful Marketing Automation platform (known as Inbound Marketing) for the little gal and guy, like you. MarketHIve is a cutting edge inbound marketing platform that combines the power and techniques of inbound marketing with that of a vibrant social neural network of entrepreneurs from around the world. With the ability to broadcast your message to 10's of millions of social accounts, you will dominate your business niche in record time. No other inbound marketing platform provides this kind of reach or interaction with an integrated entrepreneurial community and all the marketing tools you need right at your fingertips. Not HubSpot, Not Pardot, Not Marketo. Not InfusionSoft!

The Benefits of MarketHive's Inbound Marketing Platform

1. Social interaction on the same platform: While you are utilizing the tools of MarketHive, you can converse, message and communicate with like minded entrepreneurs from around the globe within the same platform. You do not have to leave you inbound marketing website and jump onto a Facebook group to ask questions, provide feedback or inspire others. With a familiar social interface, you will feel right at home in MarketHive!

2. Integrated Blogging Platform: Most inbound marketing platforms provide many of the same tools, email capabilities, capture page technology, CRM and the list goes on. With MarketHive you have a powerful blogging platform available at the push of a button. Write you blog, then with the MarketHive WordPress plugin RSS you blog post to as many WordPress blogs as you desire.Swipe blogs from other like minded entrepreneurs to use as guest posts on your own blog, providing your readers additional insights into your specific niche. Or allow persons you are aligned with on MarketHive that have the same interests to automatically post to your blog as they post to their blog.

3. Capture and Lead Pages: MarketHive puts the power to capture lead without having to pay a monthly fee to have lead pages. You have the ability to modify an impressive set of capture pages or, if you love to code, develop your own custom page.

4. Capture widgets that are state of the art, 1 click and you get the full profile of your prospect who is registering. One click, full name (real name), real email address and the Social Network they confirmed with to register account. This is forward thinking, advanced marketing technology, priceless and no cost to you.

5. Email Marketing, Autoresponders & Lead Management: No marketing platform is complete without an email platform. Again MarketHive provides the most deliverable email marketing system available anywhere. Set up a capture page to develop a lead and then drip information to that lead building a relationship of trust. Don't forget to call your prospect. Nothing takes the place of speaking directly to them. You want to segment you list? MarkHive provides this functionality. Divide your leads into groups and send a broadcast email when you have important information, a great idea to share or just want to say, “Hi!”

6. Marketing Campaign Management: MarketHive gives you a complete set of campaign marketing tools to help you develop wining marketing campaigns:

Vendor Records Management
Group Marketing Co-Op
Tiny URL Tracking
Website Rotators
Asset Maps to track your website real estate
Keyword Analysis
Backlink Tracking

This module alone will benefit you by helping you organize, track and work with your entrepreneurial group in swarming the internet with you message and product.

7. Advertising: Do you have a product or service you wish to get out to the masses? MarketHive offers unprecedented packages at far less rates than any other social network. Plus, you have the option to become a paid member and receive millions of advertising credits to use as you wish. In addition, the more you participate in MarketHive, posting valuable content, sharing content, commenting and the like, you will receive additional advertising credits. And even better, they never expire!

8. Video Integration: Integrate all your videos from YouTube directly into MarketHive to share directly with your group and entrepreneurial friends.

9. Ongoing Live and Recorded Training Workshops: We will teach you how to set ups your blog to maximize your swarm broadcasting to millions of entrepreneurs using social media

10. Thousands of entrepreneurs, at your fingertips for collaboration, sharing information, helping and bee-friending. Other inbound marketing platforms like Aweber, Getresponse, HubSpot, Pardot, charge from $200 per month to $10,000 per month and more. MarketHive (The powerful Marketing Automation Platform by Prendergast) is 100% free. MarketHive makes its revenue from Advertising and then pays you up to 50% commissions on that revenue. Advertising runs about $100 per day. The tools are powerful and the preceeding list gives you an idea of the comprehensive sophistication that makes MarketHive a powerful inbound marketing platform to Internet marketers, entrepreneurs, etc. like myself.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show on this page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

How is life for self-employed workers?

October 20, 2016

Being self-employed is a way of life for almost five million people in the UK now, with some deliberately opting for a life of working independence and others being forced to adopt it.

Figures released by the Resolution Foundation this week said average earnings for self-employed workers are now lower than in 1994-95 but that the UK's self-employed workforce had grown by 45% in the past 15 years.

How has the life of a self-employed worker changed over the years — and what benefits or drawbacks does it bring? Some have shared their stories.

The session singer

Sam Blewitt

JANINE RASCH

"Payments to session singers have increased little in real terms in the past 20 years"

Payments to sessions singers have changed very little in real terms over the past 20 years, according to Sam Blewitt.

The Twickenham-based singer has been self-employed for 30 years and has sung with Madness, The Streets, Dizzee Rascal and Ultravox, as well as on soundtracks for films, TV shows and commercials.

"There have been good times and bad, but generally, I am working for the same as I was 10 or even 15 years ago," said Mr Blewitt. "I do believe I was earning more 20 years ago.

"Then the added impact of the change in people's music-buying habits have really changed the way self-employed musicians and singers earn money. My publishing income from music sales is virtually non-existent these days."

The cleaner

Darren Smith

DARREN SMITH

On his 40th birthday Darren Smith decided to make some major life changes including giving up his job in a large shop-fitting company to set up his own cleaning business.

"I was living my life out of a suitcase week in, week out, and though the money was good, when did I get the time to spend it?" said Mr Smith, from Eastwood, Nottinghamshire.

He got a part-time job packing computer components to ensure he had some money coming in while he worked on building up a client base, which involved designing leaflets and delivering them himself.

Nine years on Mr Smith — although earning less — says his decision to become a sole trader was the right one.

"I've taken a big drop in wages, but I have cut my cloth accordingly," he added. "My partner and I live a frugal, but in my eyes, a very rich life. My work-life balance is much better, and yes, there are times when I'd pack it all in tomorrow, but doesn't everyone have days like that?"

The homeopath

Suzanne Wright

SUZANNE WRIGHT

A patchwork career is a modern way of balancing motherhood with work

Suzanne Wright found that when she became a self-employed homeopath her hourly rate was actually higher than when she was employed as a part-time distribution manager. So while her income dropped, it was because she was working fewer hours.

The mum-of-two from Northampton decided to work for herself because she and her husband found it difficult to arrange flexible childcare for their primary school-aged children.

"A lot of people have started up as self-employed in recent years," said Mrs Wright. "Many, like myself, are mums seeking to work for themselves so that they can manage their working hours around school times, so that they can be with their children.

"A patchwork career is a modern way of balancing motherhood with work — it generally means less income, but also more family time."

Mrs Wright said she does have to spend additional time working on marketing and keeping her financial records up-to-date: "I get more career satisfaction now because I'm building something of my own. My husband is in full-time, permanent work, so I do know the mortgage will always be paid."

The shop owner

Chris Petterson

CHRIS PETTERSON

For the last decade Chris Petterson has owned and run three greeting card shops, but found he had to use his pension from a previous job to supplement his income.

Mr Petterson, from Wakefield, North Yorkshire, has had to work full-time in one of the shops himself but has only been able to pay himself less than the minimum wage.

He said: "I have eight part-time staff but the costs with pay changes and pensions has gradually risen as have rates, rent, utilities, whereas business has plateaued over the same period.

"One of my big frustrations is the unfairness of business rates. I have two shops of similar retail space, but one shop has a rateable value of £6,000 whilst the other is £13,500."

However, he said the positive side of being self-employed was being able to spend more time with his grandchildren.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show on this page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

There Is No Such Thing As Flexible Work

August 19, 2016

Technology was meant to herald a new way of working anytime, anywhere – but that’s not the case.

Original article by Georgina Kenyon

We didn’t get the flying cars or the self-lacing shoes. But we did get the work world of the future — you know, the one where the internet allows us to work anytime, anywhere, resulting in the death of the 9-to-5 life.

Our ability to trust each other has not advanced in parallel with the technology we have created

Oh, wait. As more and more companies promise flexibility, the reality, it turns out, is pretty far from the culture we dreamed of.

For almost all of us, flexible work really means working a few hours each side of the core workday of 09:00 and 17:00. And, if you think about it, that makes sense, because many businesses still run within those core hours when markets are open, banks process deposits and payments and daylight makes it easier for tradespeople to do their jobs, for example.

Flexible hours have made working from home possible for many — but how many people actually make the most of it? (Credit: iStock)

But while digital technology has enabled a very small degree of flexibility around the regular working day for some, there have been unseen and sometimes unsettling repercussions for employees and employers. For instance, experts say that always emailing your staff and colleagues, even though they sit a metre from you, has had a hidden, but very real impact on morale and trust.

That, in turn, has made truly flexible work nearly impossible for most of us.“There can be a dark side of innovation, and unintended consequences of some organisational innovations,” says Almudena Cañibano, lecturer in human resource management at ESCP Europe, a business school in Madrid, Spain.

No matter how much a work rock star you might be, your manager does not trust you

Our ability to trust each other has not advanced in parallel with the technology we have created. And therein lies one of the real reasons flexible work is little more than a catch phrase. No matter how much a work rock star you might be, your manager does not trust you. Your colleagues do not trust your manager. And, truth be told, you probably don’t trust most of your colleagues or your boss, either.

Trust and the digital age

For Rachel Botsman, a visiting economics lecturer at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School, it’s simple: “Institutional trust isn’t designed for the digital age.”

Technology has let us work anywhere, anytime — but trust issues can get in the way (Credit: Alamy)

That’s also the case for the trust people have towards colleagues, within organisations. Perhaps not surprisingly, then, we’re also less able to understand or make room to consider each person as, well, a person.

"The digital age… has resulted in an ‘assault on empathy’, that makes us less able to appreciate the situation of another person,” writes Sherry Turkle, director of the Initiative on Technology and Self at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

A lack of trust brings about fear, which goes a long way to explaining why we put in face time, even when we probably don’t need to

In other words, the propensity for email, texting and quick-type apps has led us to forget some of our people skills, including distinguishing the nuances of language and meaning, fostering of a feeling of belonging among groups of people, and knowing our bosses and colleagues well enough to have confidence that others will pull their weight. That, in turn, has diminished implicit and earned trust among the people we work with.

Technology has disrupted the workplace — and not always for the better (Credit: Alamy)

That lack of trust brings about fear, which goes a long way to explaining why we put in face time, even when we probably don’t need to in order to do our work well. It also can explains why we feel we’ve got to have our “butt in the seat” even if our work could truly be done from the corner café or the back garden.

Mother, may I?

Phyllis Moen, professor of sociology at the University of Minnesota in the US, calls this the ‘mother, may I’ problem. It’s when we feel fearful of asking our managers if we can work from home or work altered hours if, say, we need to help a relative or attend a series of medical appointments or simply want to work during hours we’re feeling more productive or efficient.

While it is technically possible for many to work odd hours, the majority of us only need flexibility a couple of hours either side of the typical 9-to-5 day (Credit: Alamy)

Some workplace psychologists take it a step further, saying that modern technology is a way for employers to constantly keep surveillance over their staff. In turn, people are increasingly suffering from the impacts of feeling watched, even when they are allowed to work remotely. The Future Work Centre in London released findings earlier this year that showed the emotional reactions we have to constantly being connected to our work causes “a toxic source of stress.”

As a result, we often start thinking up more ‘creative’ ways of excusing ourselves to create flexibility.

What next

There’s also the worry that flexible work options may actually get more limited as automation and advances in information technology now threaten many traditional white-collar jobs, such as accounting and law. And that’s led to a feeling of insecurity that keeps people in their seats, playing out face time for the boss, and avoiding flexible options when they are available.

As a result of job insecurity, even when flexible work options are offered in a workplace, employees do not always take them up

One report from the World Economic Forum examines how, just as technology made manufacturing largely automated, now white-collar jobs will be automated (for example, when selling a house, the seller will fill in all the required information for an 'online solicitor').

As a result of job insecurity, even when flexible work options are offered in a workplace, employees do not always take them up. Being present it seems in the workplace, seems the most secure option for most.

As automation threatens more jobs, it may seem more important to be present in the office (Credit: Getty Images)

But, that could be counterproductive for employers. The more control that we have over our time — of when and where we work — the more job satisfaction increases, says Moen. The University of Warwick in the UK found that being happy at work makes people, on average, 12% more productive. In the paper, the researchers found that happier workers use the time they have more effectively, increasing the pace at which people work without sacrificing quality.

In reality, for some of us, the flexibility of a few hours outside of core hours actually turns out to be enough to improve quality of life.

In Spain, Iberdrola, one of the country’s largest utilities companies, decided a few years ago to allow its employees to choose working 08:00 to 15:00 with no lunch break — a major change in a country where most people work 09:00 to 19:00 with a two-hour lunch break. The company reported employee satisfaction levels increased as a result and lower turnover (90% of the workforce has been with the company for more than five years).

Changing habits

How do you change a workplace culture? Bring in blanket company rules, say some experts, making benefits universal to all staff if possible. Financial company Moody’s instituted a policy that women returning from maternity leave do not have to fulfil the usual 'billable hours' for several months. “Middle ranking managers can also help introduce flexible and healthy workplaces by getting rid of low value work — like meetings every Monday with no agenda,” says Moen.

“It’s said that to understand something you should try to change it. We are trying to redesign working conditions, giving employees greater flexibility and control over their time with more supportive supervisors,” says Moen.

But, maybe like flying cars in the film Back to the Future, truly flexible work wasn’t ever really going to happen.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show on this page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Are You An Alpha Entrepreneur?

July 23, 2016

Most MLMers seem to end up with excess products that they can't sell at a profit because the products are overpriced in the first place. You only have to look on eBay and you will see what I mean. Some companies even ban members from selling except from approved sites online.

Become an Alpha Entrepreneur

We have found a company who is different and not only do they have a good weight-loss product but it sells at a competitive price so that Independent Representatives can still make a profit even when selling at auctions.

Now some people face challenges when it comes to marketing, partly due to the price of the product as mentioned above and sometimes because they do not know where to start. Now I have teamed up with a company called Markethive which is making a special offer to all people who join Valentus at the $499 (Ruby) level. Now $499 is a lot of money, however your order when sold online will recover this cost and put you in profit.

Markethive special incentive is an upgrade to the Alpha Entrepreneur membership level. This is an amazing deal as it normally costs $5000 and includes a one-time deposit of $10,000 in Ad credits and contributes $200 in Ad credits per month so long as the member maintains their Ruby level. If you drop below Ruby level then the monthly credits will be suspended until you re-activate it.

Within Markethive you will find a new type of entrepreneur, groups of people who will go the extra mile to ensure you can build this business, teaching you how to extend your reach in social media. We currently have Valentus groups in the UK, Europe and the USA, so you will not be alone, we all help one another, no matter which group you are part of.

All the tools you will ever need, blogs, auto-responders, rotators, combined with active social media media, messaging and conference rooms. All at NO ADDITIONAL cost.

If you're interested in learning more then visit A New Experience to find out more.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show on this page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

How to Create Unique Content to Build Your Blog’s Authority

June 5, 2016

This is a guest contribution from Julie Petersen.

With so much information on the web these days, the competition for high-quality content is strong — and it’s growing.

unique blog content

You can’t always introduce new topics to your target audience, since influential bloggers have already written tons of content on the issues you have in mind. There is a trick though: you don’t necessarily need an original idea to craft unique content. You can always develop your own piece by adding the right dose of creativity into any topic your audience is interested in.

For example, let’s say you’re running a lifestyle blog and you’ve exhausted all topics about getting inspired, finding a purpose in life, achieving goals, and all other themes that are usual for these types of blogs. You can take the good-old idea on giving goal planning tips, but you can add a different angle. Here are few examples:

How Blogging Can Help You Plan and Achieve Life Goals
Do You Really Need a Calendar for Planning?
How Plans Can Prevent Procrastination

Or, you can relate your niche with the concept of blogging, so you’ll give tips to other bloggers. In this case, the topic could be something like Unusual Methods for Planning Blog Posts. There are endless variations and spins you can think of.

You may find several other online posts when you get such an idea, but your individual approach will make it different. How can you think outside the box to bring a new angle to a tired topic?

This blog post takes the traditional theme of planning and connects it to something unconventional: pet birthdays, fan conventions, and divorce parties. It’s a nice example of how you can give new life to a boring topic.

Remember: it’s definitely possible to achieve originality and a substantial following. However, it’s going to take hard work and practice. Read on; we have some tips that will help you with that!

Why is unique content so hard to find?

There is a simple answer to that question: huge competition.

It doesn’t matter what your blogging niche is and what topic you have in mind; your audience can probably find tons of other resources when googling the keywords you used.

That being said, it’s clear why it’s hard to find entirely unique content if you limit the term unique to something that’s available from a single author. Even if you think of a topic that has never been covered before, other bloggers will get inspired by it and they will take it further with their own ideas, so it won’t be that unique any longer.

Does that mean you should give up on blogging? Of course not! You see, there is a trick: the term unique is quite flexible in its essence. You can still work on an evergreen topic and bring something fresh on the table. You only need to reveal your individual style and think of some original ideas.

Matthew Inman’s The Oatmeal is a great example of how boring or mainstream topics can get really fun when you add a twist.

Why unique content is important

If you don’t serve anything new for your audience, you won’t be special for them. They don’t want to read the same old tips over and over again.

For example, let’s say you’re writing a post that’s supposed to help people surpass mild depression. Instead of writing cliché tips like “read a book, watch a movie, take a walk, talk to friends, and meditate,” you can suggest something radical, like “quit the job that’s making you miserable and start your own business.” — but you better be ready to back it up!

You can also link the theme with celebrities; that often works really well. Untitled3

The reality of search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to understand

Without satiating and unique content, your site will not receive the search results you want. Search engines value your content as much as your viewers. And ultimately, you will need exposure in search engines to achieve success.

A search engine measures uniqueness a bit differently than your readers do. Your audience needs fresh ideas, but Google needs non-plagiarized content. In other words — do not copy someone else’s work!

Your content needs to include strategically-placed keywords and phrases as well and clear, well-written human copy.

Keywords in the right places are indicators to search engines, which will help them to classify your site and target the appropriate viewers during searches. Don’t overstuff your piece with keywords, though. When you use too many keywords that your audience can easily recognize, they will affect the overall uniqueness of your post.

Valuable content will increase your expertise and authority

In addition to search engines, you need to consider your readers. Search engines will give your blog/website higher SEO rankings if your content is seen as an “authority”. To achieve this status, your posts need backlinks, as well as a steady and large number of visitors (who maintain long view times).

When you give readers something of substance, you are more likely to retain them as consistent visitors. When they get used to your blog, they will perceive your content as unique even when there are tons of similar articles on the web. They will always read yours first. If, for example, someone is looking for articles related to digital, social media, and technology, they are most likely to visit Mashable as an authoritative blog in the niche, since they know they will always find something valuable there.

Think of it this way: if you read informative articles of great value, you’re most likely to bookmark those sites for future use. That’s the effect you want to achieve with your own posts.

How to create unique content

You will need to begin each post with a great idea, however, this can be difficult to achieve on a consistent basis.

First, you must understand that high-quality, original content requires various areas of focus. Don’t narrow your mindset down to the specific niche you’ve chosen; make sure to research other areas of interest and connect them with topics relevant to your audience.

Review the following guidelines to get started.

1. Idea Generation

If you’re creating site content, then you probably have ample experience and knowledge in a specific area to produce quality work (and a foundation to back it up). However, that does not always mean you can create intriguing titles, headlines or unique ideas.

It’s normal to face a point of low inspiration. Below are some of the best online destinations that help you find ideas for unique posts.

Online generators

TweakYourBiz is a great option that quickly provides hundreds of ideas (separated into categories like lists, bests and problems) for writers with a simple keyword search. Not all of these suggestions will seem logical, but at least they will inspire you to find a twist to the theme you plan to cover.

Other tools, such as Coschedule’s Headline Analyzer and AMI’s Emotional Value Headline Analyzer, will help you choose the most efficient headline when you have few alternatives on your mind.

Blogs

Expand your imagination and check out blogs outside your given niche. Even if a blog is completely off-topic from your own, you will be surprised to find unrelated areas of interest intersect and inspire new ideas. Then, you need to relate those ideas to your own niche, and you’ll come up with a unique topic for your piece.

For example, let’s say you find an awesome blog post about the importance of academic writing, but you’re running a blog related to business startups. You can infiltrate this ideas in your own editorial schedule with a post entitled How Academic Writing Made Me a Better Businessman.

Social Media

This is a great way to discover what’s trending in your blog’s subject matter. If people are talking about it and reading about it, then you need to provide them with your perspective. Maybe the idea won’t be 100% unique, but your own point of view will make it original.

2. Adequate Research

Once you get some strong ideas, it’s time to research properly. You don’t want to give your readers false information and you don’t want to tarnish your status either.

Start by using Google and search your blog idea or title. The results will be your first exposure to the competition. Review the top results and look for the following:

Check for clarity and flow. Is the article informative and interesting? Does it flow naturally? If it’s believable and factual, you can add it as a resource in your post.
Be attentive and check the date on the posts as well. If the posts are newer, they will seem more relevant to your audience.

It’s also imperative to keep your research organized. The popular app Evernote is a great source for storage. The tool connects on all devices and users can save anything from video and audio files, to online articles, images and more. Have you heard the latest news? Evernote now allows you to pin the content you locate online. That’s awesome, since you’ll get an even better overview of the sources of inspiration you find.

When you keep track of all resources, you won’t risk using someone else’s unique ideas just because you forgot where they came from.

Remember: get inspired by the research; do not copy the content you found!

3. Editing and proofreading

Once you’ve drafted a post, it’s time to edit. You should never publish a first draft. This disregards an essential part of the process and will greatly affect the authority of your site content. Use the following tips to get started:

You should make sure to check the uniqueness of your piece during the editing process. Use online tools like Plagtracker to be sure your content is 100% original.

When writing for the web, your articles must be engaging, but also concise and to the point. The attention span in the digital world is short, regardless of the audience you’re targeting. If you post boring, unclear content, it won’t matter how unique it is… not many people will read it.

Use tools like The Hemingway app for help. The tool highlights issues like complex sentences and adverb usage, and it provides an overall readability score.

Read your content out loud to yourself. This can show you repeated or misplaced words that you missed while reading quietly to yourself. It’s also a great check for flow and natural tone. Repetitiveness affects a reader’s impression for uniqueness, so make sure to get rid of it.

No matter what topic you are covering, your content should always be created with passion, motivation and honesty. Every content creator should be using these tips and tools to enhance the creation process and come up with unique pieces of content.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show at the top of the page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Understanding Educational Technology

May 20, 2016

Education frequently takes place under the guidance of educators, but the trend of learners educating themselves is on a continuous upward movement. The reasons may include freedom to choose, no fear of questions being asked, learning at one's own pace and place, absorbing at one's own capacity and much more. The self-learning trend has been empowered by cutting edge educational technology innovation.

Educational technology has started facilitating learning from the time of Abacus to the current generation e-learning / m-learning. It has gone through multiple changes while adjusting itself to the current generation's demand.

Helping people learn in ways that are easier, faster, surer, or less expensive can be traced back to the emergence of very early tools, such as abacus. The human race has been continuously challenged to educate its next generation in a more effective manner for equipping them to face future challenges. This pursuit of constant upgradations for better learning received a big push with the introduction of computers. In the very early days of computers in education, the University of Illinois initiated a classroom system based in linked computer terminals where students could access informational resources on a particular course while listening to the lectures that were recorded via some form of remotely linked device like a television or audio device, in the year 1960. There was no looking back since then. All kind of experiments started in world renowned universities like Stanford and Harvard for computer assisted teaching. In the mean time in 1971, an influential Austrian philosopher named Ivan Illich published a hugely influential book called, ' Deschooling Society ', in which he envisioned "learning webs" as a model for people to network the learning they needed. Ivan envisioned the power of networked learning way ahead of his time but everyone realizes the power of social / network learning, now.

The invention of World Wide Web in 1990 was the next big thing after computers. After this invention, learning changed radically. Anyone could create text based websites / portals with loads of information / learning material which anyone from any part of the world could read, digest and use. This democratizes the access to any information / learning and its usage. Improved Internet functionality enabled new schemes of communication with multimedia or webcams. Multimedia powered by the internet is slowly proliferating every aspect of learning and quietly disrupting this space. Multimedia content is more fun, more engaging and better to assimilate that text-based content. The other most important aspect is the method of learning which is asynchronous in nature. Asynchronous learning uses technologies such as email, blogs, wikis, and discussion boards, as well as web-supported textbooks, audio-video courses, and social networking using web 2.0 (Web 2.0 describes websites that emphasize user-generated content, usability, and interoperability). Everyone can now realize the impact of all of the above-mentioned technologies in their learning process.

The impact of the mass / social media is the result of a long adaptation process of their communicative resources to the evolutionary changes of each historical moment. Thus, the new media became an extension of the traditional media on the cyberspace, allowing to the public access information in a wide range of digital devices. In other words, it is a cultural virtualization of human reality as a result of the migration from physical to virtual space (mediated by the ICTs), ruled by codes, signs, and particular social relationships, inside and outside the classroom. Forwards, arise instant ways of synchronous and asynchronous communication, interaction and possible quick access to information, in which we are no longer mere senders, but also producers, reproducers, co-workers, and providers. New technologies also help to “connect” people from different cultures outside the virtual space, which was unthinkable fifty years ago. In this giant relationships web, we mutually absorb each other’s beliefs, customs, education, values, laws and habits, cultural legacies perpetuated by a physical-virtual dynamics in constant metamorphosis.

The impact of social media on everyone's learning is undeniable. The National School Boards Association found that 96% of students with online access have used social networking technologies, and more than 50% talk online about schoolwork. Social networking encourages collaboration and engagement and can be a motivational tool for self-efficacy amongst students. Every student has his or her own learning requirements, and a Web 2.0 educational framework can provide enough resources, learning styles, communication tools, and flexibility to accommodate this diversity.

A highly interesting possibility emerges out from all of the above. A combination of Ivan's vision of "learning webs" as a model for people to network the learning they needed, with the need of a Web 2.0 educational framework based on social network and real-time multimedia technologies. Can this combination be a disruptive learning model for the future? Only Time can answer this question.

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Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member

Markethive

Your Mindset Development Guarantees Both Success and Failure

May 19, 2016

Your Mindset Development Guarantees Both Success & Failure positive mindset and personal development

"Being an entrepreneur is a Mindset….you have to things as opportunities all the time….Soledad O'Brien

Alright, which one are you going to choose success or failure? No doubt you desire to generate consistent, predictable and long-term residual income from your home business opportunity or any business you joined, but the biggest obstacle to achieving success has ironically been yourself. Okay, get the hell out of your own way, but how do you that? Well, let’s start at the beginning to make things simple because the simple plans are usually the ones that work the best for all people. Firstly, do you honestly believe you can succeed online? If not then, let’s begin with the old grey matter and work our way down. Yes, success begins six inches between the ears.

Do you realize that your pattern of thinking or Mindset will determine whether you generate profit or require a George Herbert Walker Bush rescue plan because your pattern of thought was self-destructive and lead to your arrival in the MLM Cemetery? Hence, success or failure is a completely an internal process that begins with your mindset and then, executed through consistent action. If, you are unable to formulate in your mind the belief you can succeed and sustain it during times of adversity then, you will succumb to the negative influences of the millions who surrender their dreams of being successful and remain content living as mediocre people. “Humans are designed to seek comfort and order, and so if they have comfort and order, they tend to plant themselves, even if their comfort is not all that comfortable, even if they see clearly want for something better.” â Donald Miller

Jeffrey Combs, President of Golden mastermind Semianrs.com once said, “mediocre people live in their comfort zone, but their comfort zone is their failure zone”. So, are you afraid to step outside the norm and remain with the millions of people who do the J.O.B for life and die dead broke? How about living a life, which is cautious, redundant and non-stimulating, which is an example of non-growth and more importantly, an example of failure. Is that you and if so, why are satisfied with that kind of life. Success requires growth and the ability to break through barriers and not remain stagnant, which is another form of failure. Hence, to succeed one’s mindset must grow beyond what it believes are its limits. The search engine Google is an example of an entity that is always growing and adjusts so as to not become stagnant; otherwise, it will become irrelevant. Last I checked nobody wants to be known as being irrelevant; otherwise, you acknowledge you serve no useful purpose to others or to yourself.

Are you ready to go beyond your limit and seek the title of not 1^st Place, 2^nd Place nor 3^rd Place, but most improved? Unfortunately, most will choose the life of mediocrity because it's safe and familiar; however, today's digital world with constantly changing technology will severely punish those who fall behind or refuse to adapt. Well, the economy will actually meet out the discipline and reward those who bring value to the market. The question remains is your mindset capable of adjusting to the challenges within a global economy that sees people as expendable and corporations as essential to societal, political and economic growth. If yes, then, I invite you attend our next live workshop and learn how you can achieve online success with our global online community.

If you believe that my message is worth spreading, please use the share buttons if they show at the top of the page.

Stephen Hodgkiss
Chief Engineer at MarketHive
markethive.com

Alan Zibluk Markethive Founding Member