THE END.

Photo Credits: Source

Time flies for 12 days and it’s #MANG2049’s last post. Here‘s my previous post about my skills audit before starting #MANG2049. So let’s do a comparison and see what has changed!

I have learnt better ways to access, manage and evaluate online information apart from my initial basic foundation. I rate myself 4 now after 2 weeks of intensive self-training for these skills. All 5 topics taught me the importance of handling my digital profiles appropriately and have shown me the consequences of not doing so.

I rate myself 4 for participating in online communities. Although I participated in online communities before but after #MANG2049, I have learnt how to manage my online profiles not only for social but for work purposes too. I have a LinkedIn account now and have begin following people/companies mainly in marketing/business/social media industry who are of an influence to me on LinkedIn and Twitter. By doing so, I’m able to get the latest news about them and the activities/events they run. One day, I do hope to attend one of their events.

I rate myself 4 as I do build online networks around an area of interest as explained above but not only for personal purposes but also for work connections like LinkedIn and Twitter.

After 2 weeks of intensive #MANG2049, I have better learnt how to collaborate with others through reading, commenting and exchanging different perspectives with my classmates and #UOSM2033 students. I rate myself 4.5 and not 5 because I believe I’m not perfect with this skill yet.

I rate myself 4.5 for creating online materials because I learnt how to use other ways to attract readers’ attractions (i.e. Prezi, videos, Powtoon) I did try using Prezi for Topic 5 but it failed as I didn’t have sufficient time to experiment on it. One of my quick-wins  is definitely to experiment on Prezi/Powtoon to create a more interesting presentation in the future.

I rate myself 4 for managing my online identity as I have learnt to better manage not only my social profiles but also work profiles like WordPress, LinkedIn and Twitter through #MANG2049’s daily blogging/updating.

(Add me by clicking on me!)

I rate myself 4.5 for managing online privacy and security. As compared to before, one of my quick-wins is to create separate identities for social and work as seen from Topic 2. I have learnt how to achieve a work-life balance and protect my privacy rights.

Among all the 5 topics, I like Topic 3 best. Topic 3 completely changed my views about LinkedIn (especially this video) as I didn’t consider managing my online profiles for both social and working purposes before. Building up my LinkedIn profile will definitely be one of my long-term goal as I know it requires time and effort.

In the future, I would consider presenting my work interestingly through different tools like shown below! Lastly, #MANG2049 has further developed my digital skills and knowledge which will come in handy not only now but in my future working life too.

 *Feeling thankful*

References
Hank Blank – Why College Students Need to Get Into Linkedin – YouTube. 2014. Hank Blank – Why College Students Need to Get Into Linkedin – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Plu2RYqjBA. [Accessed 17 December 2014].

AHA, EUREKA! *light bulb lit up*

 Photo Credits: tnooz

After reading some of the innovative and informative blog posts from #MANG2049 and #UOSM2033, I have found some key learning points about Open Access (OA) that I initially didn’t know about.

Taking into considerations from different perspectives, Ru Huan explained about music aspect which I can relate to. If there’s a particular singer that I like, I would be willing to purchase his/her albums for the superior quality music. However, Dominic’s argument stated “A third of young people would not pay for music online.” I did use “YouTube Converters” before hence like Sylvia, I can relate fairly much that some teenagers would rather download online for free music than spending money to buy an full album.

I strongly agree with Pippa that “we have to accept and embrace technological changes otherwise we will be left behind.” In relations to my post, those content producers that don’t enable OA are going to be at a disadvantage from an educational aspect. Students like me, would choose free publications rather than paid publication as shared by Isaac and my reply to Ian’s comment.

Photo Credits: Upchiro

I have learnt from Yanyi’s comment that not all information from free publications are reliable as anyone can take, edit and re-post those information online again. Furthermore, I have learnt from Ian that there’s a need to strike a balance for OA. Perhaps for those publications that require extensive research, they can be charged for its quality and reliability of work produced.

 Photo Credits: camtwiststudio

I believe the solution to OA is publishers/authors gaining support from organisations/government as what I have shared in my reply to Vanessa’s comment. This greatly benefits not only students who can enjoy free access to online materials, but also to researchers/authors. They can then concentrate on producing free and good quality work, without worrying about costs incurred.

(300 words)

I commented on Zoe‘s and Catherine‘s blog posts. 😀

References
BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF FREE-FORM CONTENT. | ruhuanng. 2014. BENEFITS AND DRAWBACKS OF FREE-FORM CONTENT. | ruhuanng. [ONLINE] Available at:http://ruhuanng.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/benefits-and-drawbacks-of-free-form-content/. [Accessed 10 December 2014].

Is the entertainment industry going to die out? | Welcome to the Wild Wild Web.. 2014. Is the entertainment industry going to die out? | Welcome to the Wild Wild Web.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://uzoweblife.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/is-the-entertainment-industry-going-to-die-out/. [Accessed 10 December 2014].

A third of young people would not pay for music online, says EC report | Media | The Guardian. 2014. A third of young people would not pay for music online, says EC report | Media | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/media/2009/aug/04/third-young-people-pay-music-online. [Accessed 10 December 2014].

Topic 5- I will pay for global news but not entertainment! (Reflection) | Sylvia.. 2014. Topic 5- I will pay for global news but not entertainment! (Reflection) | Sylvia.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://sylviakangkang.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/topic-5-i-will-pay-for-global-news-but-not-entertainment-reflection/. [Accessed 10 December 2014].

open-access. 2014. open-access. [ONLINE] Available at:http://pedavies18.wix.com/open-access. [Accessed 10 December 2014].

isaaclye | Paid Vs Free Content. 2014. isaaclye | Paid Vs Free Content. [ONLINE] Available at: http://isaaclye.wordpress.com/2014/12/09/paid-vs-free-content/. [Accessed 10 December 2014].

Nothing’s for free. Not true, OA IS FOR FREE!

 Photo Credits: Rebecca Ratcliffe via the guardian

Can you imagine the amount of time and effort required to complete today’s post without Open Access (OA) to any information available online? I guess I just have to go to the library to get hard-copy books/newspapers that are relevant. How about you? A study found out that 90% of online content would likely be held behind a paywall in the coming years. (Stephen Lepitak, 2013) How are students going to get access to do research now?

Advantages to a content producer for enabling OA to their materials

 Photo Credits: Ansys

We (students) have done multiple assignments that require us to research for materials online. However, I believe some of us come across websites that say “ACCESS DENIED” sometimes. I will look into other sites which will enable me free access to the materials instead. Like the video, I don’t think it’s worth it to spend on research materials that I don’t even know if it’s relevant to me.

Hence if there is OA, more people will view and learn from the relevant content producer’s work, gradually users will build upon it and cite them. I feel that this is a win-win situation where users will get to learn/understand new things while researchers will get recognized for their work produced.

On a side track 😀 Photo Credits: redvooz

Costs for publishing and printing can be saved up as “internet provides an instant, global and cheap publishing platform”. (Rupert Gatti, 2012) The cost of shipping a book is $5 whereas the cost of distributing an electronic copy of the book over Internet is approximately $0.0007. (David Wiley, Cable Green, and Louis Soares, Feb 2012) See the difference in prices? Content producers can save up to $4.9993 per book alone!

Disadvantages to a content producer for enabling OA to their materials

Content producer is not charging users for using their online materials, hence they are not earning any profit. Although costs were saved up from publishing their work online, here shows costs incurred to hire strong, skilled editors to ensure that research can be understood universally etc. (Alexander K Brown, 2012) Alexander also discussed about recruiting and hiring a team of developers in order to meet needs of customers and researchers. Eventually, I feel that content producers are operating at loss as they are not earning revenues but instead contributing more to the costs associated.

Conclusion

To conclude, I am still in favor for accessing information freely on the web. I strongly agree “Sharing is the sole means by which education is effected.” (David Wiley, Cable Green, and Louis Soares, Feb 2012) I believe in learning through sharing of knowledge widely be it from teachers, peers or the web.

Photo Credits: Source

(400 words)

References

Open Access Explained! – YouTube. 2014. Open Access Explained! – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5rVH1KGBCY. [Accessed 09 December 2014].

90% of online content to be held behind paywalls in three years media company survey suggests | The Drum. 2014. 90% of online content to be held behind paywalls in three years media company survey suggests | The Drum. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2013/04/12/90-online-content-be-held-behind-paywalls-three-years-media-company-survey-suggests. [Accessed 09 December 2014].

Open Access: ‘we no longer need expensive publishing networks’ | Higher Education Network | The Guardian. 2014. Open Access: ‘we no longer need expensive publishing networks’ | Higher Education Network | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2012/nov/08/open-access-academic-publishing-models. [Accessed 09 December 2014].

Wiley, D., Green, C. and Soares, L. (2012). Dramatically Bringing Down the Cost of Education with OER. 1st ed. [ebook] p.2. Available at: http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED535639.pdf [Accessed 9 Dec. 2014].

Open access: why academic publishers still add value | Higher Education Network | The Guardian. 2014. Open access: why academic publishers still add value | Higher Education Network | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2012/nov/22/open-access-research-publishing-academics. [Accessed 09 December 2014].

 

“With great reflection, comes great learning.”

 Photo Credits: Wallumi

“With great power reflection, comes great responsibility learning.” 

After reading my classmates’ posts, various aspects on different ethical issues for educational and business usage of social media were discussed. I will be sharing about my learning points gained from some of the interesting posts that I have read.

One of them that caught my attention was Patricia’s. She mentioned companies shouldn’t invade into our (consumers) privacy and “take off our clothes”. I agree that some companies make use of social media and directly collect ‘fresh’ news of us wherever we go on the web. This makes me feel so ‘overexposed’ and ‘unprotected’ on the web.

 Photo Credits: Lucy Denholm via Flickr

Taking this discussion further, Yu Ting mentioned about companies using cookies to track our online activities. Remember when I said about visiting companies’ websites to purchase flight tickets and hotel deals? Since then, TONS of hotels deals for that country start appearing everywhere I visit on the web (I shall not be unethical and say which company). I admit that my iPhone and I are inseparable, hence Yvonne’s explanation about tracking of activities through iPhone usage made me realized that my privacy is being invaded everyday. It’s scary how companies are able to access my data through cookies.

Zoe’s comment sets me thinking too. Companies do have to take up some responsibility to educate their employees about the ethics of using social media for business purposes. Here shows the fundamental obligations required for companies (i.e. policies/training programs etc) to establish. Topics 2 and 3 have shown me why it’s important to educate employees about the ‘Do’s and ‘Don’t’s for their online work and social platforms as social media can either ‘make‘ you or ‘break‘ you.

In conclusion, I personally feel it all boils back down to us. Eventually, it’s our own responsibility to stop our own unethical behaviors.

(300 words)

I commented on Isaac’s and Novina’s blog posts. 😀

References
Stop taking off my “clothes”! | PPU. 2014. Stop taking off my “clothes”! | PPU. [ONLINE] Available at:http://patriciapu.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/stop-taking-off-my-clothes/. [Accessed 08 December 2014].

Am I actually in control of my fate? | Koh Yu Ting. 2014. Am I actually in control of my fate? | Koh Yu Ting. [ONLINE] Available at:http://ytsouth.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/am-i-actually-in-control-of-my-fate/. [Accessed 08 December 2014].

Don’t stalk me. It’s creepy(and also unethical). | Yvonne ☼. 2014. Don’t stalk me. It’s creepy(and also unethical). | Yvonne ☼. [ONLINE] Available at: http://yvonneblogs.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/dont-stalk-me-its-creepyand-also-unethical/. [Accessed 08 December 2014].

Disclosure Toolkit – SocialMedia.org. 2014. Disclosure Toolkit – SocialMedia.org. [ONLINE] Available at: http://socialmedia.org/disclosure/. [Accessed 08 December 2014].

It’s NOT solely social media’s responsibility. It’s OURS too.

Photo Credits: Castabiggernet

Needless to say, everyone can see the importance of social media to business right? Marketing. Recruitment. Public Relations. Promotions.. But ‘As trust is the priced currency of social media, ethical lapses or oversights can be deadly for brands.’ (David Vinjamuri, 2011)

In an IBE survey of large companies, 6/7 respondents identified integrity risk as the main ethical challenge with regard to social media. (IBE, 2011) It occurs when employees use social media irresponsibly either through their professional or social profile, leading to ruining of the company’s reputation.

Photo Credits: Csrwire

An example is Nestle. In March 2011, an employee who manages content on the company’s Facebook ‘Fan Page’ posted offensive comments in response to negative remarks by ‘fans’. The employee’s behavior risked and damaged Nestlé’s reputation hence leading to it being boycotted by public. (IBE, 2011)

Photo Credits: Lisa Hope

Look at my reply to Simon’s comment on how social media is being compared to ‘traditional media’. Be it speed or number of audience being reached out to, social media has proven its effectiveness. As social media enables users to re-tweet, edit and comment, this makes it hard to control the content being circulated around.

A 2011 DLA Piper survey found social media is used for personal and work-related activities by 95% of employees. (IBE, 2011) As discussed in Topic 2, it is hard to be distinctive about social media for personal and work use.

 Figure 1 (Ayan Islam, 2012)

Figure 2 (Ayan Islam, 2012)

As shown in figure 1, those employees’ behaviors clearly show no boundaries between their work and personal lives. Figure 2 shows that 72% Active Social Networkers (ASNs) are observed to have misconduct in previous 12 months. Like what I emphasized in Topic 2, it’s important to have two online identities, for work and social.

Alternatively, employees might pose negative comments about the company using their personal profile. From Figure 1, 42% of ASNs will blog/tweet negatively about their company. Linking back to Topic 3, there are increasing numbers of recruitment through social media. I feel that if you recruit employees through social media, restricting them to use what got them into the job is a hard nut to crack. Hence, I suggest having an ‘Internal Facebook’ like Serco Group. (IBE, 2011) This enables employees to discuss work-related issues between themselves which links back to my reply to Corinne’s comment.

I feel that social media, if used wisely, can be a very powerful tool for business purposes. Since social media like Twitter has already taken up some responsibility in this case, how about ourselves?

Do feel free to comment! 😀

References
Ethics and the Five Deadly Sins of Social Media – Forbes. 2014. Ethics and the Five Deadly Sins of Social Media – Forbes. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidvinjamuri/2011/11/03/ethics-and-the-5-deadly-sins-of-social-media/. [Accessed 05 December 2014].

PSAMA Blog: Nestle finds out the hard way that brands don’t set the rules in social media, users do.. 2014. PSAMA Blog: Nestle finds out the hard way that brands don’t set the rules in social media, users do.. [ONLINE] Available at: http://psamablog.blogspot.sg/2011/03/nestle-finds-out-hard-way-that-brands.html. [Accessed 05 December 2014].

Integrity Risk and the Use of Social Media in the Workplace – Workplace Ethics Advice. 2014. Integrity Risk and the Use of Social Media in the Workplace – Workplace Ethics Advice. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.workplaceethicsadvice.com/2014/12/integrity-risk-and-the-use-of-social-media-in-the-workplace.html. [Accessed 05 December 2014].

Social Media Week – To Tweet or Not to Tweet? The Use of Social Media in the Workplace Raises Ethical Issues – Washington DC. 2014. Social Media Week – To Tweet or Not to Tweet? The Use of Social Media in the Workplace Raises Ethical Issues – Washington DC. [ONLINE] Available at:http://socialmediaweek.org/washingtondc/2012/02/16/to-tweet-or-not-to-tweet-the-use-of-social-media-in-the-workplace-raises-ethical-issues/. [Accessed 05 December 2014].

The Ethical Challenges of Social Media. (2011). 1st ed. [ebook] Institute of Business Ethics, pp.1,2. Available at: http://www.ibe.org.uk/userassets/briefings/ibe_briefing_22_the_ethical_challenges_of_social_media.pdf [Accessed 5 Dec. 2014].

Twitter Improves Abuse Reporting And Blocking – Forbes. 2014. Twitter Improves Abuse Reporting And Blocking – Forbes. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.forbes.com/sites/larrymagid/2014/12/02/twitter-improves-abuse-reporting-and-blocking/. [Accessed 05 December 2014].

Time to think deep again. HMMM, so what have I learnt?

 Photo Credits: via Only free wallpaper

Undeniably, two key ways on how to develop your own professional online profile is authenticity and consistency. Both were emphasized heavily on their importance in most of the posts that I have read.

 (Taken from Novina’s blog post)

Novina’s example on ‘PewDiePie’ is very interesting. It shows me that by being authentic, he don’t have to wear a fake mask wherever he goes and best part is, he makes people feel comfortable with him. Aww.

Next is consistency, Daphne mentioned about having the same profile picture for Twitter and LinkedIn. I think this is a great practice as employers can easily find me to follow/connect with me if I used the same picture for all social profiles.

(Taken from Sylvia’s blog post)

I have learnt from Sylvia that by being humble and making words extra pleasant, in fact do impress employers. In her example, I would definitely be more impressed with Statement 2.

I agree with Kelly that we should utilize the right tools to portray ourselves. For example, in terms of the marketing industry, how you present yourself through your LinkedIn profile does matter. Judging from the large number of connections, it will leave employers with a positive impression that you have a wide network of connections.

By taking this discussion further, I commented on Simon’s post about ‘Honesty is the best policy’. I gave him a scenario whereby if job seekers have a criminal history on drug issues, how would they use this to reinvent themselves?

I found out here that they can instead look for jobs that don’t tie in to their criminal background. If one had drug issues, don’t work in medicine industry. I believe everyone deserves a second chance, ‘learn to use your skills in different ways and being able to sell that to employer’ (Rachel Zupek, 2009) would in fact turn the tables around and impress them.

(300 words)

References
Download Meme Thinking Face Wallpaper in 1920×1080 Resolution. 2014.Download Meme Thinking Face Wallpaper in 1920×1080 Resolution. [ONLINE] Available at: http://onlyfreewallpaper.com/view/meme-thinking-face-1920×1080.html. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Just like a ‘PewDiePie’ – Building an authentic, online profile | ladyskorpios. 2014. Just like a ‘PewDiePie’ – Building an authentic, online profile | ladyskorpios. [ONLINE] Available at:http://ladyskorpios.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/just-like-a-pewdiepie-building-an-authentic-online-profile/. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Another Cs ? | Daphne Lerr Yue Chow. 2014. Another Cs ? | Daphne Lerr Yue Chow. [ONLINE] Available at:https://chowdaphne.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/another-cs/. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Topic 3 – Ways in which an authentic online professional profile can be developed | Sylvia.. 2014. Topic 3 – Ways in which an authentic online professional profile can be developed | Sylvia.. [ONLINE] Available at:http://sylviakangkang.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/topic-3-ways-in-which-an-authentic-online-professional-profile-can-be-developed/. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Professional Profile, how? | kellysayswee. 2014. Professional Profile, how? | kellysayswee. [ONLINE] Available at:http://kellysayswee.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/professional-profile-how/. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Topic 3: Ways in which an authentic online professional profile can be developed | Wings.Like.Eagles. 2014. Topic 3: Ways in which an authentic online professional profile can be developed | Wings.Like.Eagles. [ONLINE] Available at: http://wingslykeagles.wordpress.com/2014/12/03/topic-3-ways-in-which-an-authentic-online-professional-profile-can-be-developed/. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Honesty is the Best Policy in Résumés and Interviews . 2014. Honesty is the Best Policy in Résumés and Interviews . [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.careerbuilder.com/article/cb-1180-cover-letters-resumes-honesty-is-the-best-policy-in-r%C3%A9sum%C3%A9s-and-interviews/. [Accessed 04 December 2014].

Topic 3: Finding a job using resume? NAH NO MORE! Social media is trending for employability right now!

Photo Credit: EMPLOYola Surge via Pinterest

“Resume is no longer the first step in the recruitment process; It’s one of the last.” (Ryan Holmes, 2012 – Reference 1) I can’t agree no more. How many of you have a Twitter/LinkedIn account before starting this module? For Twitter, I believe most of us have one but how about LinkedIn? Not many I guess. I did not have one until #MANG2049 taught me the importance of building a online professional profile. In this post, I am focusing on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Twitter

 (Vermont Design Works, 2014 – Reference 2)

Twitter’s redesign 2014 allows tweets stand out in order to catch the eyes of a recruiter. (Stephane Le Viet, 22 April 2014 – Reference 3) However, do send out the appropriate message to your targeting audience.

Twitter enables us to follow accounts that are of our area of interest like in marketing aspects. Best part is, I do not have to know marketers personally to start a conversation or interact with their posts. Personally, I will add links to my blog and LinkedIn in my Twitter Bio so that people will be redirected to me eventually.

LinkedIn

Photo Credit: Esther Vargas via Flickr

During my internship at IBM’s Marketing Department, we used Skype to exchange information. However, whenever necessary, LinkedIn is mostly used to obtain particulars about agents that work under IBM. However, back then I did not see the importance of LinkedIn yet.

(Reference 4)

Are you inspired to own a LinkedIn account now? I know I am! 🙂

(Reference 5)

I was also motivated by Hank Blank to create a LinkedIn profile. In the video, he stated that students who do not use LinkedIn lose their ‘native’ status and become a LinkedIn ‘immigrant’ instead. (Note how this links us back to Topic 1) Employers do not want to waste time training employees on LinkedIn hence I assumed having a LinkedIn profile has become a ‘criteria’ instead of a bonus.

I strongly agree when he said, “Focusing on resume building is good however resumes do not appear on the Internet but your LinkedIn profile does.” Linking back to Topic 2, employers look out for things that cannot be found on your resume like personality or having an active/creative online presence.

Now that I have a LinkedIn profile, I believe that my profile cannot be build up overnight but instead, it takes time and effort to slowly develop authenticity and maintain a larger connection of networks. (Lisa Harris, 2013 – Reference 6)

Concluding thoughts

I believe the use of Twitter and LinkedIn can benefit us (undergraduates) to start building up our network of connections now and be prepared for future employability opportunities.

(400 words)

Thank you for reading! 🙂 Do drop me comments if there’s any. Feel free to add me on LinkedIn too! 😀

References
Reference 1:
How Social Media Is Making Job Hunting Better – Hootsuite Social Media Management. 2014. How Social Media Is Making Job Hunting Better – Hootsuite Social Media Management. [ONLINE] Available at:http://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-job-hunting/. [Accessed 03 December 2014].

Reference 2:
Twitter Profile Redesign 2014 | Vermont Design Works. 2014. Twitter Profile Redesign 2014 | Vermont Design Works. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.vtdesignworks.com/blog/twitter-profile-redesign-2014. [Accessed 03 December 2014].

Reference 3:
Twitter’s Redesign Makes the Platform Ripe for Recruitment. 2014. Twitter’s Redesign Makes the Platform Ripe for Recruitment. [ONLINE] Available at:http://mashable.com/2014/04/21/twitter-redesign-recruitment/. [Accessed 03 December 2014].

Reference 4:
What is LinkedIn? – YouTube. 2014. What is LinkedIn? – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzT3JVUGUzM. [Accessed 03 December 2014].

Reference 5:
Hank Blank – Why College Students Need to Get Into Linkedin – YouTube. 2014. Hank Blank – Why College Students Need to Get Into Linkedin – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Plu2RYqjBA. [Accessed 03 December 2014].

Reference 6:
Harris, L. (2013). Building your online professional profile_0. [online] Connect.soton.ac.uk. Available at: https://connect.soton.ac.uk/p32693389 [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].

Reflection Time on Topic 2: Online Identity, Privacy and Security

Photo Credit: Carolyn Wilson via Friends of social media (Reference 1)

After reading through my classmates’ posts, I came across different perspectives on arguments about one or multiple online identities. I couldn’t say who is right or wrong as each individuals have evidence and experience supporting their own view.

 (Taken from Elisha’s blog post)

I do share similar thoughts as Elisha to some extent. Initially I neglected the importance of security for my social networks like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram hence anyone is able to view my posts/pictures that I upload there. However, I changed my mind-set as I began to fear for my privacy when I saw spams/comments from followers that I were unfamiliar with. Since then, I use two-way authentication for all my social accounts in order to not expose my personal life to strangers.

(Taken from my blog’s comments section)

In reply to Simon’s comment, I think that it is reasonable for employers to base part of their hiring decision on candidates’ social identity. As stated by Evan, I do believe future potential employers do not only look out for one’s professional identity but also for their social life. Similarly as stated by Aetiiqcaz, what employers are looking for through our social identity might be our characters and personality (like being fun-loving and creative) which are what marketers should possess.

(Taken from Reference 2)

As shown above, my strategy is #2 (Reference 2). How about yours? Thanks to Pinola, I also found out that for those who have multiple identities, TweetDeck is useful as it enables us to post from multiple accounts on multiple networks.

Photo Credit: biglegohead via Flickr (Reference 3)

All in all, I do support having two identities, one for social and one for work. I believe how we portray ourselves on our professional and social identities do matter as employers and potential clients have access to our online identities. I would like to show my employers that I do ‘Work Hard and Play Hard’ and is able to maintain work-life boundaries.

References
Reference 1:
3 ways social media reflects business ethics – Friends of Social Media. 2014. 3 ways social media reflects business ethics – Friends of Social Media. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.friendsofsocialmedia.com/2012/06/3-ways-social-media-reflects-business-ethics/. [Accessed 02 December 2014].

Reference 2:
Pinola, (2014). Should You Use One Profile or Separate Personal and Professional Accounts?. [online] About. Available at: http://mobileoffice.about.com/od/softwarewebapps/a/managing-social-media-profiles_2.htm [Accessed 2 Dec. 2014].

Reference 3:
Work Hard Play Hard | Flickr – Photo Sharing!. 2014. Work Hard Play Hard | Flickr – Photo Sharing!. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/57383368@N03/5285320469/in/photolist-943DCZ-mpZEyB-83qN47-cYbcPC-mq1j82-3Ts7ib-dXpZ78-9kCcSb-7yU3NX-dXvp43-7CvN9e-ekWQ1y-5QZirm-okQ7r6-5DNehu-9nDrqm-6LuVix-6K4Z99-owk3B5-5UnWQJ-honiTj-aBEEpy-aBBZva-jaDnjr-9TfMNP-5zZdw2-5zZdma-5A4vpW-5A4uQq-5A4w1y-5A4uc1-5zZdQc-5zZde4-5A4uYA-5A4uky-5A4vHm-5zZe8n-5A4vTA-5zZcCk-5zZe1c-5zZdKK-5A4vgS-5zZcLT-5zZdXa-5A4uub-5A4uH1-5zZd7F-5A4v65-5A4vwj-5zZctP. [Accessed 02 December 2014].

Topic 2: Online Identity, Privacy and Security

Do you have one identity or more? Currently, I have a social identity on different social networks. How about you? Here are some arguments for and against having more than one online identity from my point of view.

Advantages for having more than one online identity

Anonymity

Photo credit: Natalle Fong via Flickr (Reference 1)

Having multiple identities support anonymity. I agree that people can share sensitive topics anonymously like medical data, physical abuse etc and benefit others who are seeking help without revealing themselves. (Jeff Jarvis, March 8, 2011- Reference 2)  Therefore, their everyday lives will not be judged or disrupted.

‘Professional’ vs ‘Privacy’

(Taken from Reference 3)

(Taken from Reference 4)

Personally, I feel that multiple online identities enable one to well differentiate their private and professional lives. In my Skills-Audit’s post, I googled myself and results are pictures and information about my previous participation in schools’ activities.

Reppler conducted a research in 2011 and found that 91% of recruiters search the web about applicants’ online activities. (Reference  3 and 4) Hence besides my social identity now, I believe building up a professional identity might give future employers a better impression of me and will be beneficial in my future career path.

Disadvantages for having more than one online identity

Authenticity

 

I believe strongly in authenticity hence I only have a social identity on various platforms as shown above. Personally, I have nothing to hide about hence I am comfortable with using my own name.

 

(Taken from Reference 6)

Furthermore, identity-centric social communities like Facebook, Google + and LinkedIn (Reference 5) are taking steps to improve authenticity. I agree with Google that people behave better when they use their real names (Reference 6). As shown above, Google+’s identity policy makes living anonymously more difficult on the web as users are now required to use their “real names”.

Accountability

(Taken from Reference 7)

From the image above, I agree that “online anonymity has to go away”. (Reference 7) I feel that for those who have multiple identities, none takes up accountability and responsibility. Anonymity leads to cyber-bullying and racism etc (Reference 5) which are impossible to trace online and hold those people’s bullying actions accountable.

I have seen online bloggers being thrown hurtful comments by fake account holders because they posted photos/posts about their personal lifestyles. This sets me thinking how unfair it is to be judged based on my own life.

Conclusion

Hence I would argue that in reality, having multiple identities do boil down to individuals’ motives. When I go online to share photos, comments or views, my online identity is non-stop evolving. Therefore, taking into considerations for pursuing of my future career, having just two online identities will greatly benefit me in terms of separating my social and working lives.

References
Reference 1:
Anonymity. | Flickr – Photo Sharing!. 2014. Anonymity. | Flickr – Photo Sharing!. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliefongphotography/14446884761/in/photolist-o1C4w2-pvd79H-ptLCkr-ha3G5-iW7Sme-nGCnKS-MtArp-eb8Cw6-eaXwbu-8cDMH1-dQEC55-5p6swv-8pMTm6-6D1Gff-e3MWGc-2NMAYu-jcAwyo-8TPaYU-9qqqqS-jkeKNd-5xFjRj-jkXuQk-4AJBpS-6FxoDc-ogKxFq-GbGd8-GbGdH-GbGcT-c2C9P-GbGcZ-9M5Roi-GbGdz-4fc8v8-jigKUU-6PBp5G-dN9pkS-jbNbiA-4zrJ1z-jcDyCf-odSJre-6F6L3u-jiDMKS-aXmDNz-ebxcV7-6mWPGq-GbJuF-GbJuK-dq7pxn-4qRLLX-71WtZD. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

Reference 2:
One identity or more? — BuzzMachine. 2014. One identity or more? — BuzzMachine. [ONLINE] Available at:http://buzzmachine.com/2011/03/08/one-identity-or-more/. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

Reference 3:
Infographic: Social Media is Changing Recruitment – YouTube. 2014.Infographic: Social Media is Changing Recruitment – YouTube. [ONLINE] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6rGe-XBi9w. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

Reference 4:
Managing Your Online Image Across Social Networks | The Reppler Effect. 2014. Managing Your Online Image Across Social Networks | The Reppler Effect. [ONLINE] Available at: http://blog.reppler.com/2011/09/27/managing-your-online-image-across-social-networks/. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

Reference 5:
Identity on the Internet: The pros and cons of anonymity | | Independent Editor’s choice Blogs. 2014. Identity on the Internet: The pros and cons of anonymity | | Independent Editor’s choice Blogs. [ONLINE] Available at:http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/09/19/identity-on-the-internet-the-pros-and-cons-of-anonymity/. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

Reference 6:
Google Plus forces us to discuss identity | Technology | The Guardian. 2014. Google Plus forces us to discuss identity | Technology | The Guardian. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.theguardian.com/technology/blog/2011/aug/30/google-plus-discuss-identity. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

Reference 7:
Mark Zuckerberg’s views on anonymity seem to be evolving, and that’s a good thing — Tech News and Analysis . 2014. Mark Zuckerberg’s views on anonymity seem to be evolving, and that’s a good thing — Tech News and Analysis . [ONLINE] Available at: https://gigaom.com/2014/04/04/mark-zuckerbergs-views-on-anonymity-seem-to-be-evolving-and-thats-a-good-thing/. [Accessed 01 December 2014].

(399 words)

Reflective Summary for Topic 1: “Visitors” and “Residents”

After reading some of my classmates’ blogs, I found out that some of them have similar online behaviors like me. However for some cases, agreements and disagreements were voiced out but it is okay because this is where learning takes place. In my opinion, there are no right or wrong perspectives in the different concepts that we individuals have about digital “Visitors” and “Residents”.

(Taken from Evelina’s blog post)

(Taken from Elisha’s blog post)

I came across Evelina’s blog post (Reference 1) and it links me back to the comment I posted on Elisha’s blog post (Reference 2). Like what Evelina has stated, ‘Change’ is a key and necessary factor for today’s fast pace society. In my opinion, especially for Technology.

(Taken from Recycling Lives’s website)

Hence I found an organisation, ‘Recycling Lives’ that took into considerations and revealed a positive incentive for those who are older generation. At a price of £20 per learner, a basic digital tuition followed by a chance to be rewarded with the tablet they trained on are included. (Reference 3) Hence, I feel that this opportunity gives the older generations a second chance to stand on equal ground with the newer generations who are more IT savvy.

(Taken from Yvonne’s blogpost)

(Taken from Isaac’s blog post)

As stated by Yvonne (Reference 4) about the limitations of the web, I have posted a similar comment on Isaac’s blog post (Reference 5). Although the web provided various tools that enable us to gain the latest insights on news or provide free advertising etc, there are flaws too. Personally, one of the most important flaw is the loss of touch on interpersonal skills and face-to-face interaction. (Reference 6)

To conclude, after reading from the different perspectives of my classmates’ work, I have learnt more about the pros and cons of utilizing the web which are not stated initially in my previous answer. Most importantly, I have learnt that regardless of age, continuous learning will always play a significant part in our growing process.

(Taken from Google Search – Reference 7)

Thank you for reading the post about my reflective summary on Topic 1. Hope you enjoyed reading my post as much as I enjoyed writing them! 😀

Till next monday, cheerios! 😉

References

Reference 1:
Visitors and Residents in the Digital World | Evelina lim . 2014. Visitors and Residents in the Digital World | Evelina lim . [ONLINE] Available at: https://evelinalim.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/visitors-and-residents-in-the-digital-world/. [Accessed 28 November 2014].

Reference 2:
Who Do You Think You Are? A Visitor Or A Resident? | ELISHA PAY WEN HUI. 2014. Who Do You Think You Are? A Visitor Or A Resident? | ELISHA PAY WEN HUI. [ONLINE] Available at: https://elishapwhisliketat.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/who-do-you-think-you-are-a-visitor-or-a-resident/. [Accessed 28 November 2014].

Reference 3:
Our Residents Engage in a Digital Age | Recycling Lives Charity. 2014. Our Residents Engage in a Digital Age | Recycling Lives Charity. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.recyclinglives.org/2014/11/our-residents-engage-in-a-digital-age/. [Accessed 28 November 2014].

Reference 4:
A new age of “Digital Residents”? | Yvonne ☼. 2014. A new age of “Digital Residents”? | Yvonne ☼. [ONLINE] Available at:http://yvonneblogs.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/digital-visitors-and-residents/. [Accessed 28 November 2014].

Reference 5:
isaaclye | Topic 1 – Visitors, Residents And Me. 2014. isaaclye | Topic 1 – Visitors, Residents And Me. [ONLINE] Available at:http://isaaclye.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/visitors-residents-and-me/. [Accessed 28 November 2014].

Reference 6:
Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking. 2014. Advantages and Disadvantages of Social Networking. [ONLINE] Available at:http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Social_Networking. [Accessed 28 November 2014].

Reference 7:
learning is the part of growing up – Google Search. 2014. learning is the part of growing up – Google Search. [ONLINE] Available at:https://www.google.com.sg/search?q=learning+is+the+part+of+growing+up&espv=2&biw=1366&bih=643&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Lxx4VLrLNo2eugSysYKADA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=awJKMomPwThohM%253A%3Bffm7Mpq6WooH-M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fonlyyouyoga.files.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F05%252Fgrow-up.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fonlyyouyoga.wordpress.com%252F2013%252F05%252F21%252Fyoga-and-following-the-rules%252F%3B900%3B455. [Accessed 28 November 2014].