When I think about my online identity I cringe at the ‘stuff’ about me that is floating around in cyberspace. Being part of the generation that saw the rise... and rise... and rise... of the internet also means that I’ve seen the ‘fall’ of many social media websites. I remember using forums on Geocities, chatting to pen pals on ICQ, and meticulously choosing my ‘top 8’ friends on Myspace. While the majority of these things can be chalked up to teenage naivety, I am wise enough to know that my online identity spreads far beyond the threads I’ve managed to keep track of. Personally I use a number of pseudonyms when joining social websites and rarely give out private details; to me, this just makes sense. Now that I need to create a professional identity online, I am constantly battling with myself about small things like using my full name or posting my email address.
The steps I have taken to build my professional identity have been small but very calculating. I have created a Linked-In Profile, though admittedly have not maintained it; signed up to Twitter and followed a number of relevant LIS professionals; created my own personal portfolio via Blogger; and organised a simple yet professional sounding email address. All these little online interactions are vital to becoming an established member of the online community and each step I take leads me closer to the goal of building a niche for myself in the LIS world.
I want to be an active, professional member of the LIS community now and in the future. One of the easiest ways to participate in discussion is to use Twitter and while it has taken me a little while to really embrace Twitter, I believe it is a valuable tool for any professional network. Blogging, I’ve discovered, is a great way to create networks and consolidate learning. My goal for the future is to become a real presence in the ‘blog’ world by sharing my thoughts about the LIS industry.
Creating an online identity is simply not enough these days, maintaining your online identity is where it’s at.
For further reading, Susanne Markgren has written a helpful article about creating and maintaining your online identity here.
Hey Annette,
ReplyDeleteI too have struggled with my "online identity" and this course is really forcing me out there. I figure I can use my real name if I keep things professional, but it is still concerning thinking of all those things floating out there about me! I will definitely aim to keep Facebook personal, but the rest (like Twitter, LinkedIn etc) are basically professional.
It's good to know that I'm not the only one concerned about the amount people share online.