Comments on: Digital texts, online identity and political blogging

By: Kurt Hochenauer

Kurt Hochenauer — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 23:51:22 +0000

Good points. Here’s a small example of this issue: I’ve long required students to build web pages in my classes using free page builders or, if they have the knowledge, basic html. In the beginning, students mostly used Geocities and then Google Pages. Now those spaces are no longer available and they use Weebly and Tumblr. Another question, then, becomes how much intellectual energy we should place in the specific commodification of the Internet versus how much we should push the overall process of adaptation. Should we learn new systems and applications even if we don’t need them specifically on a contemporary basis because they might be valuable to us in learning a future system or application?

By: E. Grumbach

E. Grumbach — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 19:26:38 +0000

I feel that the tension and anxiety surrounding social media springs from the exact questions you’re raising. I wish someone could (and maybe someone will!) answer these questions. Perhaps there would be something useful in creating a hierarchy of social media importance for our digital humanities needs. It seems like there’s a feel that blogs, facebook, and twitter will be around and expanding for years to come, yet it also seems impossible to determine what will last with the growing popularity of social bookmarking sites (friendfeed, anyone?), the move towards web-enabled televisions, and etc.

I definitely think a consideration of the pace of technology/media coupled with usability could be a jumping off point for issues involving the creation of online identity.

By: Kurt Hochenauer

Kurt Hochenauer — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:20:02 +0000

Thanks for the comments here. I wonder, too, about the “proto-professional” (I like this term!) spaces of our students and even faculty. One question is this: How do we discuss issues like these in the hurried world of technology. Once we say something we think is definitive about Twitter, for example, then what happens when Twitter is not that important anymore? Or maybe Twitter will expand and remain an important component on the web for decades to come. What do you think?

By: E. Grumbach

E. Grumbach — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 01:54:07 +0000

I feel like I’ve been struggling with the same issues in my experience as a graduate student working with undergraduate students. Often, they understand and are grateful for the opportunity to work on creating an online identity that reflects the proto-professional space they find themselves in at the university. However, I feel as if they have the exact same questions that you’ve raised. They are concerned about giving away too much or too little information. They are frustrated when the terrain of online communities continues to change.

I think your line of questioning is incredibly interesting. How can instructors teach by example in creating an online identity?

By: rebeccadavis

rebeccadavis — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 16:36:23 +0000

I think creating online identity is a valuable skill for both students and faculty, as well others working online.

By: amyschexnayder

amyschexnayder — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:14:19 +0000

I’m interested in this!