Feeling Cyber Life in Real Life
This post by Janet Clarey got me thinking about how my online activity is a reflection of me. Everyone needs to be conscious and aware of the way their online activity displays their personality. I often think that my interest in technology will give me a competitive advantage when I start the job search. But what if my perspective employers don’t like what I have to say or maybe they will think that I am too vocal, maybe they won’t like my writing style. How aware of this do I have to be when blogging or posting to facebook? Do I direct them to my blog and add them to my friend list without anything to hide or do I wait for them to google me? I think I always need to have it in the back of my mind. I also think I can use this as motivation for writing good posts that display who I am. This can be a great marketing tool if used optimally. I know I don’t want to end up here.
I have to say that this is a very interesting topic. I find it to be quite the moral dilema and am glad to see someone taking a deeper look at it. Facebook is very popular right now. Through this site I have made many connections with ‘long-lost-friends”. I post alot of pictures of me having fun but I think this reflects the fact that I am a fun loving person. In my six years as an ed. asst., I have to say I have become very aware of just how fun loving many teachers are. There shouldn’t be anything wrong with that and if someone felt uncomfortable with what they saw on my facebook, I would think, like that blog you posted said, that we would not be a good fit.
There has been two occurrences which really got me thinking about this issue in the last two months though. One was an photo of a party from high school which I removed the tag of my name on, and the other was a student I had worked with requesting me as a friend. I wasn’t sure that it was appropriate and worried about what would happen when I rejected her. I felt it was inappropriate, but maybe that was wrong of me?? Should I feel safe to let anyone see what I have on the internet? What I lke about facebook is I have to accept ‘friends’. Is that a bad thing? I am still working through this one! Great topic Kyle.
I had a great discussion with Christian long from thinklab about the idea of branding. Certainly being the more you post the more you know. My belief is that you’re going to have an edge on someone who doesn’t. Perhaps not right now but certainly in the near future.
Gillian,
This will be a great lead in to our next topic on safety and privacy and our public life online…good thinking and questions here.
Thanks Gillian. You expand upon what I have been contemplating. I definitely see a lot of positives and am quite active on facebook. It is not as though I have anything to hide, but there may be party pictures out there waiting to be posted, or maybe someone will use derogatory comments on my wall. If I am away from the computer for any length of time I would be unable to edit and people would see these things that may not reflect who I am now, but rather the nature of my ‘friends’.
I think you were right to reject the student friend, I would. As much as we need to build valuable relationships with our students, facebook is not the answer.
Dean, the idea of branding is front and center in this. I want to have a positive image that reflects me in the best light. I don’t know that I agree with the more you post the more you know? or does it just show who spends more time online? With web 2.0 still in it’s infancy, not all administrators will value it or what I have to say about it.
I haven’t really quite figured out the impact and function of facebook yet but know of a few educators who keep in contact with students there. Not sure how to view that.
I know Patrick told us that postings to Myspace and facebook could be used as a screening tool by potential employers so it’s true we need to be very careful what is put there. I try to encourage students to be aware that what they post could come back to haunt them one day. It is interesting to do a google search on your own name once in awhile and see what comes up.
Very intersting Kyle. But today there isn’t many places to hide on the web so just remember that as long as your honest, having fun and learning I would think that a potential employer will over look some gramatical errors…. and hopefully spelling errors too. ha ha ha Brian Nenson