Internet Footprints and Digital Shadows

Be afraid, be very afraid!  Everything you do, and don't do, on the internet leaves an imprint that will be there forever to haunt you (and everyone else!).  When I started this course, I was anonomous on the internet - apart from a facebook account I did not exist.  Now, very scarily, I cannot escape from myself and I wonder what people make of me, and whether I am showing my true self.  What will happen when I go for a new job?  Will I be googled and will they like what they see?  Will I have to tone down my comments on Facebook in case an employer makes the connection between me dancing on a table at the local nightcub and my professional persona as a teacher?  Where can I be myself?  Obviously not on the internet.

Boyd's article on Social Convergence highlights the dangers in our two sides converging and points out that the definition of privacy is subtly changing.  On Facebook in particular, what was once posted privately to friends if they wished to know, is now broadcast publically so that noone can miss it, even if they wanted to.  This is especially dangerous as our circle of 'friends' now includes both strong and weak ties (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007) and our "disparate social contexts are collapsed into one" (Boyd, 2008, p. 18).  Private posts are directed to a hugely varied audience simultaneously and without a social script, and we need to be very, very careful what we say and how we say it.   

This should be alarming for teenagers today.  Whereas our drunken nights and embarrassing moments were limited to a few close friends, and strangers who we will never see again, and are therefore faded and forgotten, their whole lives are played out on the Internet for everyone to see and remember forever!  Just think, Star Wars Kid!!

Happy blogging!

References

Boyd D.  (2008).  Facebook's privacy trainwreck: exposure, invasion and social convergence.  Convergence: the international journal of research into new technologies, vol 14(1), 13-20.  Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/

Ellison N., Steinfield C & Lampe C.  (2007).  The benefits of facebook "friends"; social capital and college students' use of online social network sites.  Journal of computer-mediated communication, 12(4), article 1.  retrieved from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue4/ellison.html

Let's face it

My name is Sarah and I am a facebook addict.  Okay, I've admitted it, but I have also discovered that I am even more guilty of the crime of Facebook Stalking!  It's like spying over your neighbours fence and peering in through their net curtains without them knowing that you are there - scary!  Even more scary is, I wonder how many people are stalking me without me knowing (although in reality not many as my life is really not that interesting - shame!).  I admit that I do check out my 'friends' profiles when I am online, just to see what they are doing, and often I don't leave comments.  From now on I am going to be a visible prowler and leave my evidence everywhere ...

Wikis

This week I have been learning about the collective intelligence that is a wiki.

Wikis facilitate open-source production which is "the free and open creation, alteration and distribution of goods, ... via the contribution from vast numbers of widely distributed and unco-ordinated actors" (Anthony, Smith & Williamson, 2007).  A shining example of wiki technology in action is of course, Wikipedia.

Wikipedia has had more than its fair share of debate over the reliability and quality of its articles, but there is no doubt that it works hard to remain professional and maintain its neutrality, and in this it mainly succeeds.  The 2005 Nature study showed that it was comparable with the Britannica in reliability (as cited in Leaver, 2010).  The changes that can be made by anyone are policed by the contributors themselves and collective editing over time ensures consensus.  Any vandalism is dealt with promptly and efficiently.

What interested me most was, what kind of people would invest such large amounts of their free time in a project such as this, which in today's materialistic world seems incongruous.  An article by Anthony, Smith and Williamson (2007) concludes that contributors are motivated by building themselves a reputation in the community, a strong committment to group identity and seeing the community prosper.  Most contributors are registered and have some expert knowledge but there are many anonymous "good samaritans". 

Today I found myself being a good samaritan and have to admit I was overly excited like a small child who has finally grown tall enough to ride the roller coaster.  My task was to go on Wikipedia, find an article that needed something adding or editing and do it - scarey!  I didn't  think I would be able to find anything I could contribute to so imagine my delight when I went on the NSW Waratah's page and found something out of date - yippee!!!  I edited the Super 14 to Super 15, entered Super Rugby and linked it to the relevant page and then, with a shaking finger, pressed Save.  I felt empowered and important, like I had made a difference (how sad am I?!!!).  Does everyone feel like this?  Maybe it's just me ...

References

Anthony D., Smith S. & Williamson T.  (2007).  The quality of open source production: zealots and good samaritans in the case of wikipedia.  Dartmouth Computer Science Technical Report TR2007-606.  Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/

Leaver T.  (2010).  Wikis [iLecture].  Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/

New South Wales Waratahs.  (2010).  Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_South_Wales_Waratahs

Blogging

Blogging seems like a new phenomena but in fact has been happening for over ten years, the difference being that originally only technically minded people with the time and interest to learn html could contribute.  Today there is no reason why everyone cannot voice an opinion, publish a thought or take part in a blog conversation, and I am not sure whether this is a good thing or not. 

Original blogs were well thought through, contained opinions and links, were often quirky, and effectively pre-surfed the internet for their followers (Blood, 2000).  Now that Web 2.0 has made the web more accessible, content has become more personal (Blood, 2000) and there has been a move from more journalistic and controversial posts to more ordinary and day to day blogs posted by more ordinary and day to day people.  That is not to say that there are not a huge number of interesting and useful blogs out there, but there are now so many blogs that it has lead to a dilution of communication and it is impossible to read all of them or even wade through them to find one of interest unless it has been recommended.  The benefits of being able to make independent choice are being eroded by the shere size of the blogosphere.  As Rettberg (2008, p. 63) says "the blogs that already have 'power' will get more" due to the problems of scale.  Small blogs are likely to get lost in the system if they have not been tagged and that could be a shame, or a positive thing depending on your view point and the nature of the blog.

On a positive note, having read about Salam Pax, the Baghdad Blogger (Leaver, 2010) perhaps Web 2.0 will ensure that blog-worthy posts will rise to the top.  Salam was able to provide a unique insight into life in Bahdad in a way that no journalist could, and taught us all that war is not something that happens a long way away but is something that affects ordinary people.  The number of videos posted after the Tsumani are also testament to this.  Our lives are richer for their contribution, putting meaning into the news headlines, and perhaps bringing us all closer together. 

References

Blood, R. (2000, September 7). "Weblogs: A History and Perspective", Rebecca's Pocket. Retrieved January 3, 2011, from http://www.rebeccablood.net/essays/weblog_history.html

Leaver, Tama (2009, 29th Mar). "Blogs" [Course Lecture] retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au/


Rettberg, J. (2008). Blogs, communities and networks.  In Blogging. Polity Press: Cambridge. Retrieved from http://edocs.library.curtin.edu.au/eres_display.cgi?url=dc60263770.pdf&copyright=1