Module 3 summary
In this module, we have discussed about considered the deliberate construction of identity online via blogs, forum post, SNS and emails. Also the digital shadow, the trails of personal data created by the online presences that are less intentional. Photograph of me uploaded by someone else, a mention of your name on a blog or forum, a document about myself that have been published online, these all contribute to my online ‘reputations’.
The online presences is hard to avoided these days, as in some way if you are have access to the Internet, and the WWW you ended up creating your profile to get access to most of the sites. The netiquette and profile that I have online has became quite important because, the Internet has became one of the tools that we use to communicate.
One of the question we have been asked on out discussion board was ‘Do you agree that social media is a fundamental shift in how we communicate?’. I don’t think the social media have fundamentally shifted how we communicate, for me it has given us another tool to communicate. We still need audience (listeners) and medium that pass the information to them. The social media have changed how people convey themselves to mass audiences, and to be linked with them.
After reading ’personal home page’ (Döring), I have felt the technologies have changed and some argument were not apply any more. The SNS sties have changed the Internet users to create the webpage which have replaced purpose of the personal homepages.
But in Döring’s argument “No other medium seems more exactly suited than the personal home page to fulfilling the present-day demands of identity work on the charged field of differentiation on the one hand and construction of coherence and meaning on the other [...] Personal home page construction promotes the systematic answering of the identity-critical “Who am I?” question and supports the internalization of the individual answers.”, in my opinion, this argument has helped to create the Web 2.0 SNS sites that it made it so easy for everyone to create the webpage. Also these new Web 2.0 sits gave users the options to personalize the many display features, that making people to be expressive and creative - making the site more personal and to be able to represent who there are.
The Web 2.0 SNS have made many users to setup their webpage so easy, the popularity have grew over the years now it is hard to avoid to be part of. Reading on chapter two of the ‘Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor and Privacy on the Internet by Daniel Solove, he addressed that the importance of reputation in our social world. Now days, directly or indirectly, it is hard not to participate on the SNS, as we of us use the sites as to communicate with friends (Face book or MySpace), to obtain and update information (Wikipedia) or to express themselves on the subject matters (Bloggers or Word press) or to share the photos or other medias (YouTube or Flicker).
As Boyd mentioned ‘Face book gives the ‘gift’ of infinite social information, but this can feel too much like the One Ring – precious upfront, but destructive long-term.’(Boyd, 2008). Like everything in this world if you use it as right tool and with right control, it is a ‘gift’. The SNS is a wonderful tool for many people who like to keep in touch and have the ‘link’ between your closed friends without any barrier of time or location or to express their opinion to discuss or to share the information.
The destructive part of would be, because people are putting such a private information, the protection of personal information will be need to be considered. The Internet is public domain, once information is out there, it can be found and shared. Also people have different point of view on life, and perspective because of that it is so easy to misinterpret any comments or writing on the SNS, which would create false sense of friendship or damage other people’s reputations.
On the discussion board, been ask to talk about the Solove’s argue “In the past, oral gossip could tarnish a reputation, but it would fade from memories over time. People could move elsewhere and start anew.” However, these days the internet “makes gossip a permanent reputational stain, one that never fades.” (Solove, 2007). For example of the’ Star wars kid’ it shows how reputation can be setup in the Internet and circle around then it have created a somewhat cult like followers. Some people use this to gain 10mins of fame, but what if the unknowingly the reputation has been damaged by others?
The internet as public place, the information is there to be shared and available for users who has access to it, but in social term, the Internet form links to share and connected to create a network (Social network) as Solove stated on his writing ‘A social network is a web of connections, such as a group of people who associate together.’(Solove, 2007). But this nature of social network promoting people to create a ‘link’ to other users, the network is growing and expanding, sometimes you don’t really know who’s on your linked group list or which network I am part of.
The Web 2.0 have made us to use the Internet more dynamic and responsive way. It has gave users a tool to create and express themselves easier then pre-web 2.0 which has helped many people to be connected, and sharing their information. Now days, it is easy to find and share the information on the Internet, also we can communicate to the network of people by posting the blogs or sharing video or photos.
But, it raise me a question, how much we can share and how can we protect information which we don’t wish to be shared? There are no easy way we can control the information that on the Internet. The Internet is public place, also the SNS tools provides rather indistinct when it comes to protecting the personal information. It is depend on us, the users to be careful and take caution to protect personal information. Simply by acknowledge and understand that the information on the Internet will be there and can be found directly or indirectly. Also aware of the ‘reputation’ which can be manage by advocating constructive and clear attitude towards information we share on the Internet.
References
Boyd, D. (2008). “Facebook’s Privacy Trainwreck: Exposure, Invasion, and Social Convergence.” Convergence, 14 (1)
Retrieve February 17, 2010 : http://www.danah.org/papers/FacebookPrivacyTrainwreck.pdf
Döring, N. (2002). Personal home pages on the Web: A review of research. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 7.
Retrieve February 17, 2010 : http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol7/issue3/doering.html
Solove, D., (2007). How the Free Flow of Information Liberates and Constrains Us, in The Future of Reputation: Gossip, Rumor and Privacy on the Internet.
Retrieve February 17, 2010 : http://docs.law.gwu.edu/facweb/dsolove/Future-of-Reputation/text/futureofreputation-ch2.pdf
