The Blog-a-day Challenge

Official Start Time: 10:30 p.m.
Date: 12/7/08
Official End Time: 11:30 p.m.


I wanted to create a project that could be used on the site so that there was more stuff to do on the on the site other than blog, comment, and share. I started using Scratch a year ago and have learned to make a lot of cool stuff since then. Scratch itself is a dynamic program that you can use to make games, simulation, animations, and in my opinion basically anything. What I like about Scratch is the ability it has to combine different forms of media so easily.

In this version you can use the paint editor in the bottom right hand corner. There are 4 palettes which can be manipulated using the dock at the top of the screen. Mess around with the different features and give me some feedback with what you thought worked well, didn't work so well, and what could make it better. It took a lot of work and I hope you enjoy it.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 10: 45 p.m.
Date: 12/6/08
Official End Time: 11:30 p.m.

Today is Jay's birthday and I felt that today's blog should commemorate my good friend Jay and the friendship I have shared with him for more than 5 years.

I remember meeting Jay originally when I was in 7th grade. Immediately we became friends and it didn't take much for us to laugh and share fond memories. Something that I think made my friendship with Jay so powerful was how we learned from each other. Jay was more of the outgoing and daring kind of person in comparison to me who was more modest and scared to step out of my shell. Overtime we rubbed off on each other. I became more open and willing to take a risk while Jay learned more about the respectful mind and what the passion people should have in their decisions.

5 years have gone by and our friendship has only grown stronger. We've been through thick and thin and I can only imagine things getting better from this point forward. Where life take us is unknown. All I know is wherever I go, wherever Jay goes, we will always be brothers. We'll laugh like the good old days, get mad like the good old days, and continue to grow like the good old days. Who knows what to expect in the next 5, 10 years from now.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time:11:00 p.m.
Date: 12/5/08
Official End Time: 11:30 p.m.

When you look at the community on the website and compare it to the community on a social network like MySpace, Facebook, YouTube you notice that we are dots in comparison to these giants. A social network like MySpace probably has more than a million users and serves a community that continues to grow every minute that someone signs on. Comparing yourself to a giant like MySpace of Facebook is a bit extreme but is a great way of always pushing your social network forward to the day that it reaches that viral status. I feel that the motives behind these networks is something that contributes to the amount of members on the site and the community the site is able to establish.

So if we compare the service and elements of a social network like MySpace to our social network we can see some clear differences. For starters MySpace is a place for friends. A place were people come together to share, chat, and make new friends along the way. There's no charge for joining MySpace and you're free to do whatever you want as soon as you hit the sign up button. There are some restrictions that apply to the terms of use on the site but for the most part you can navigate with ease. What makes MySpace so interesting is the flash that comes with it. You can visit the homepage and automatically your eye is caught by an ad for the latest movie coming out. Additionally there's information about new members who joined this community, but that only makes a small percentage of the page. Most of the page is consumed by ads, videos, and pictures that convince you to click and eventually join to get more videos, pictures, blog post, etc.

The Ningxia Dragon Student Ambassador website has grown dramatically in the short amount of time that it came to be around. Before going on my trip I think we had a little less than 100 members and barely any activity on the site. After going full throttle on the site we had a few dramatic jumps along with a whole new variety of members and aspects to the community. The community itself is driven behind spreading the opportunities of cultural exchanges to the US and Northwest China. The cause our program has limits it to a group of people interested/willing to provide support. All social networks start with this kind of feedback. It takes an explosion (figuratively speaking) for the site to become viral and serve the masses in a new way.

The only thing we can do to become a viral community is continue to do well what we've always done. We need to continue commenting, uploading, and spreading the word. In time we will reach that stage if we haven't already done so already, as long as we continue to move forward nothing will stand in our way.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 10:45 p.m.
Date: 12/4/08
Official End Time: 11:30 p.m.

The Brick Wall

On our journey through life we take on adventures that we know we're doomed to fail. We ask out the girl who goes out with only the hottest guys, we ask for a loan we can't afford, and we take the risks that can make or break us. In all of these situations the odds are against us. The girl will probably say no, the bank will only eventually make you bankrupt, and you might regret the decisions you have made since that day. Not making the decision however forces us to question what if. What if we had made that choice? Would things be different: for the better or for the worse? It all comes down to instinct and how much we are willing to risk when it comes to making that choice. Sure there are obstacles along the way, but anything forth doing doesn't come easily. It takes hard work and diligence. The fruit of our labor will make it all worth it when we look back at the foundation we have now established for ourselves.

Success is a two way street. On one lane we have the common conceptions of success that comes with the millions of dollars, sports cars, private jets, etc. On the other lane is the more modest and appreciative side to success. The side that looks at what you did well and what you can do to do better. On both sides there are the brick walls. These walls made of flesh that almost seem possessed. Their purpose is to challenge you. Force you to prove that you deserve the things you have worked so hard for.

On the first couple of tries, you might lose an arm or two to the brick wall. The occasional black eye and cracked rib is customary when hitting a brick wall at 80 mph. However their is a way to avoid the brick wall. The easiest solution is to plan ahead. Start small and set easy goals that you know you can reach. Confidence is power and the more confidence you have in yourself, the more successful you will be in the long run. Once you reach one goal aim for the next. The brick wall can't hit you if you're always getting stronger and faster. Eventually you will be faster than the wall and know when to duck and when to jump.

The most important thing on the road (or roads) to success is diligence. Remain determined and committed to your goals. Take your problem as misunderstood opportunities. The experience you get from hitting the brick wall will only give you the ability to avoid the next one. It might be hard to accept but hard work is what gives you the chance to be successful. The road to success you choose to follow is what will determine what you do with that success and how it will affect you and the people around you.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 11:00 p.m.
Date: 12/3/08
Official End Time: 11:54 p.m.

So the days are coming along nicely and I've doing a lot of stuff underground and on the surface at the same time. I ran across this social network that's aimed directly at spreading the news about your company to people who are just as interested and determined to bring their companies to new heights.

Visiting the site however on the first fews days was a rather unconfincing experience. The site seemed more like a giant spam engine in which hundreds of leeches come at you and bombard you with information about their cause and how you can benefit from their services. It reminds of what I was doing on Livemocha and made me question what made my actions different from theirs.

For one, I got to meet the person before doing the "ask". I feel that people respond more positively to something when they know who they're getting it from. I noticed on the site that the top members were typically the ones who dominated the recent activity board not with original content but messages to hundreds of users. The messages seemed machine automated: identical and consisting of no personality whatsoever. . . "Add me as a friend, if I'm already your friend don't be such a stranger"

It's hard to decide in that kind of a situation if what were doing is right based on two conditions: time and results.

The amount of time we are held against to pursue these goals may force us to gather as many consumers as possible, not leaving a lot of time to know the person and actually establish a connection. It's a slippery road from here on forth. I feel that sending messages like these discourages people and pushes them towards hitting the spam button rather than taking the time to visit your site and provide the support your looking for.

Results are another condition we have to take into consideration. You have a certain amount of time to accomplish a certain goal. The amount of people your able to expose to this experience limits you from establishing the necessary connection. I however believe that "I am more than a number" and believe that I am more willing to help a friend who at least knows my name than a machine who just spits out programmed information.

We'll the choice is yours and it comes down to the conditions we are confronted with. Take advantage of the time you have and always remember to be earnest. In my personal opinion I believe that getting to the know person, showing that you actually have a soul, and providing the necessary content can insure success in the long wrong and is the most effective way of getting your message across. What we are today may not exist in another five years, but the foundation we establish for ourselves will follow us everywhere we go; label yourself as the earnest, devoted individual rather than the business man who only cares about one thing.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 11:10 p.m.
Date: 12/2/08
Official End Time: 11:30 p.m.

I'm gonna try to keep this short while making sure to bring my point home. The title is self-explanatory and relates to the type of people we are and how that will affect what we are able to achieve.

Independence for one thing is crucial if you want to be successful. "You were born into this world alone, and you will leave it alone" The phrase is harsh but holds a certain amount of truth. If you want to be successful you need to know how to fend for yourself. You need to plan for if worse comes to worse and being dependent on one too many factors can harshly cripple your odds of success. The less you have holding you down, the more of a chance you have to rise above and accomplish the impossible.

Diligence like I've said before is probably just as crucial as independence. Hard work gives off great results. If you stay on task, success can be guaranteed every time. You might face some adversity along the way but with every brick wall you hit, you will only get stronger. After a while, you will learn how to avoid the brick walls. You will become a tycoon in your field of expertise, revered by your colleagues and friends. All it takes is time and patience.

Jumping from 0-100 isn't the idea you should have behind any major project. You need to understand that the fundamentals are what give you the ability to reach 100. That the time you have is precious and should be used to build the fundamental skills that will help you reach the higher plateau. I tell this from experience and can only wish upon my fellow man the best of luck in whatever adventure he decides to take on next. I only wish that the person remembers to start small and remain commited. Take the advantage of the time and opportunities you have. The worst that can happen is reaching the finish line and not have learn anything at all.

As they say, "All in Good Time, my son"

Sincerely, Hector Guzman

Official Start Time: 11:20 p.m.
Date: 12/1/08
Official End Time: 11:50 p.m.

It's the first of the month and we're coming down to the stretch. We've had a couple of month and this will be our last month to meet our goal or at least get as close as we possibly can. There's no reason to look back and examine what went wrong. The only thing we can do now is move forward and do our best to meet the goal we once set such a long time ago.

How are we going to do this you might ask? Well I think its time that I should create a to do list to insure a good turnout of members this time around.



Things That Need to Get Done:
1. 1,000+ members on the Ningxia Dragon Student Ambassador Site
2. Double the amount of content on the site
3. Prepare presentations for future participant for future cultural exchanges along with presentation for interested sponsors

Ways to Get This Done:
1. Spread the word on different social networks powered by Ning and ask the friends made on those social networks to join the site as a way of showing support. Additionally, asking the community currently on the website to add a friend or two to the site. If everyone adds at least 1 friend, the number of members would jump tremendously. More importantly we most continue to add our friends, family and neighbors. Every helping hand brings us closer and closer to our goals.

2. Create groups, discussion, and projects on the site for everyone to take part of. More importantly inspire user created work. Encourage the members on the site to upload pictures, blog, help out on a project and give back to the community on the site. As a team member you have an active voice on the site, and its up to you to make the changes you think are key.

3. Doing all this work means nothing if the service we're providing can't be used to its full potential. Therefore, we need to start recruiting participants for future cultural exchange programs. There will be a trip coming up this March and later this year in May. Visit the scholarships tab to get informed on how you can become a future participant and how easy it is to get the money for a future trip.

More importantly however we need to address the issue with funding for the community on this site. We need to find a way to make it easier for students in China to participate in such cultural exchanges without breaking the bank. I therefore propose that we prepare presentation for interested sponsors. We want to show them the service we're providing and how their donation can make it possible for good Chinese students to take part on the cultural exchange of a lifetime. Grants are also a good idea for getting the money we need, but it all comes back to the website.

The bigger the website, the more people are willing to give. The service we are providing and the impact it's having will ultimately reflect the amount of support we can get. Therefore, it is crucial that we all pitch and continue to build the community on the website. Add pictures, add videos, add your friends, and take the first steps towards a better tomorrow.

Sincerely, Hector Guzman