Post 2 = E marketing and privacy issues

In class, we've mentioned marketing tools that allowed companies access to which link a person clicked on, where they went after visiting the webpage, what type of browser they are using...etc... All this wealth of information is a very good tool for a company to understand their consumers needs and online habits are. Being able to access information an all users instead of just a sample size gives the company a more accurate perception of their target market. While the tools are helpful to the company, to the consumers it's a scary thing.

For someone to see what you do on webpages, how long you stay, the idea seems big brotherish. And the idea of a website gathering so much information on a person, isn't common knowledge to the consumer. At work I showed my coworkers just how much information I could find by just knowing their name and the neighborhood where they lived. Sometimes all I needed was a phone number to track someone's personal information was online. Many of them were shocked that I could find so much information on the web. If normal consumers are oblivious to that simple fact, there is no way they realize that websites are gathering such precise information about what they do online. Tracking someone's movements without their knowledge in what they assume to be in the privacy of their own home or office... that's an major invasion of privacy. I believe if companies wish to rely heavily on online marketing tools, the consumers need to be made aware of what is happening and have the option to opt out.

Hello World!

Let me introduce you to a little information about myself. I'm Grace Fields a Senior studying International Business at UMSL. I was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri and still continue to live there. This blog is apart of one of my current college course, Internet Marketing.

I chose to take this course because Internet is becoming increasingly more important in today's world of business. Also, my father owns real estate and I have been working on a project to put his business online. I hope this class will help me improve my dad's business as I transfer his main marketing plan from newspapers advertisements to the digital world.

As my major implies, I'm very interested in the world around me. I love traveling and keeping up with current issues in Asia. The thing I most enjoy about UMSL is the diversity of the student body. And my favorite course so far was Cultural Traditions at UMSL's Honor College. The course studied different view points around the world and the class atmosphere encouraged students to speak up about their own experiences.

The least thing I like about UMSL is a blessing and a curse. The School is located in my home town which means I can save money by living at home. But, I never got to experience the full typical university experience of living on campus.


As this is my last semester, my primary focus is on graduating. I don't really have any hobbies outside of school, but I am very interested in advancing my Chinese proficiency. I'm taking a full course load at 19 credit hours. I am enrolled in 7 classes. My other 6 classes are as follows:
Financial Management with Rhonda Tenkku
Independent Portfolio Writing (Honors) with Kimberly Baklus
Business in China with Hung Fung
International Management with Gwen Moore
Consumer Behavior with Haim Mano
Strategic Management with Bindu Arya