Living in the digital world

Do you Tweet? Are you on Facebook? Have you built your LinkedIn network?

Do you Reddit? Have a Pinterest app? Hangout in Google Circles? Get your Groupons? … Or are you simply still trying to figure out the allure of MySpace? Or whether you really need a website?

It’s a fast-paced, ever-evolving digital world dominated by social media and e-tail. While there are benefits to becoming integrated into this electronic cosmos, there are also distinct challenges, such as deciding what is right for you or your business and trying to read the future to know which will live on and which will die a digital death.

MySpace, for example, was the forerunner of social media and digi-personal communication. At one point, it was the most visited site in the U.S., surpassing even Google. But the years saw Facebook take over that niche, with MySpace regressing to its original purpose as a social entertainment site. Facebook, meanwhile, has evolved from its origination as a college-only site to being the predominant social media site and marketing tool for businesses interested in reaching its more than one billion users.

Where Facebook will go from here and how long it will continue to rule is anybody’s guess. But there is little doubt that social media, e-tail, and the digital world as a whole will continue to dominate and evolve, bringing technological advances and opportunities at a rapid rate. And QA will continue to move, evolve, and bring technological advances and opportunities right along with it.

As an industry-leading publication, we believe it is important to stay at the forefront of digital media, and provide innovation, information, and opportunity as we have done in traditional media since our launch in 2005. As such, we are going into 2013 with new and updated digital offerings to benefit both our readers and advertisers. Among these are:

• Redesigned Website – Recently redesigned and updated to bring you all the industry news and resources you are accustomed to finding on www.qualityassurancemag.com in a new, easy-to-navigate format.
• Facebook – Keeping you updated on industry news and timely articles (Like us at www.facebook.com/pages/QA-Magazine/181523428650759.)
• LinkedIn – Ask questions, share experiences and network with other food safety and quality professionals. (www.linkedin.com/groups/QA-Media-Group-3945284?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr)
• Twitter Feed – Follow us (@QAMagazine) for news, information, updates, and other items of interest from the editors.
• Digital Edition – Online since January 2011, our digital publication gives you the full color magazine with imbedded links. (Subscribe at www.qualityassurancemag.com/Subscribe.aspx)
• Multimedia – Educational webinars and podcasts by or with industry leaders and/or sponsors provide the latest on critical industry topics.
• E-News – Our bi-weekly e-newsletter keeps you updated on the latest news, as well as supplier and product innovation—direct to your inbox. (Subscribe at www.qualityassurancemag.com/Newsletters.)

Like, follow, link, and visit us at any or all of the above. We look forward to seeing you in the digital world!

The author is Editor of QA magazine. She can be reached at llupo@gie.net.