Done & Dusted

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Hello!

I’ve finally created a video regarding what I’ve learnt and how I’ve felt about the module. I decided against creating a video before because well…

Everybody’s doing it. xD

The video’s a little short so I’ll elaborate a little bit over here.

Initially, we all did an analysis on ourselves and how would we rate our digital literacy. I rated myself quite high because… well.. we’re in the social media generation, aren’t we? We grew up on these platforms.

After this whole module, I realised that maybe I’ve been a little narrow minded, there are social platforms that we are highly aware of but had never thought of making use of. For example, Linkedin and even wordpress.

So in my learning points, i mentioned that we all have digital literacy, it’s a question of whether we want to use it.

Hence my thoughts of the website being a tool. It’s a tool that helps us with communication and learning. But while it can help us, it could also ruin us. People find loopholes to satisfy their greed or need. Therefore, the rise of digital fraud and piracy.

At one point of time, we were all guilty too.

Awareness for these matters is extremely important. Especially for us marketeers who are now residing in the digital land. Target audiences become desensitized to messages sent out, marketeers has to double efforts or work around the issue.

Professional Profile

Facebook:

Before the module, Facebook was like a game center. I played tetris battle and used it as a calender for friend’s birthdays. After this module, I’m officially a stalker. Using Facebook to stalk companies I hope to join.

Wingtai handles fashion brands like Topshop & Topman in Singapore!

Wingtai handles fashion brands like Topshop & Topman in Singapore!

Mercury Marketing Communications is a PR company that services clients like Audi and H&M

Mercury Marketing Communications is a PR company that services clients like Audi and H&M

These brands often advertise for job positions on Facebook making it extremely easy for me to apply when a position opens.

Linkedin:

Linkedin

This is my brand new spanking Linkedin profile with a strength of “Intermediate”. While I’m still exploring ways to use it, I hope to connect with old lecturers, colleagues and friends. Linkedin interest me because it allows friends to “endorse” you for skills. Hence acting as a form of reference.

Twitter:twitterI followed groups like Maketing Magazine and Ad Age because they are my interest. As a micro blogging site, twitter is very good for instant and relevant news. Following these groups would not only keep me updated, it would also keep me entertained.

In conclusion…

Although this post is titled:

Done & Dusted

We live in a digital age where things would just keep growing. I feel that this module has given us a taste of what being digital savvy really means. I mentioned in my video that the cons of the module is that it lacks the human touch whereby our professors would just take 1 look at our faces and realise how lost we are. Being on the web (sorry lisa!) there are other things that distracted us during lessons.

I am thankful that this module prepared us and “trained” our perseverance.

We’ll never be done and dusted with the digital world unless we’ve been marooned on a desert island.

To end off this module, I would like to wish everybody in MANG2049, UOSM2033, Olja & Lisa a Happy Christmas and thank you for the fun time we had in the digital land.

A Digital Card for a digital module… Get it..?

Topic 5: Reflection

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Reading my classmate’s blogs, there are so many advantages and disadvantages that are similar yet I have not talked about. As this topic involves all of us in the world of academia, all of us do have some sort of passion towards it.

After commenting on Elisha’s and Xiu Zhen’s post, I can infer that the objective of the content producer is extremely important as publishing a document do cost. The objective does affect the quality of the journal which in turns affects the knowledge gathered by students. Hence it is a circle which could potentially lead to OA’s downfall due to the failing quality.

Daphne mentioned a quote from Lisa.

“If a service is free, you are the product”.

This made me really think about the whole concept of the internet. The computer was made for connectivity. It was redundant as a solo device, it need other computers to transmit information. Hence it is very much similar to OA. Whereby the constant flow of journals and articles being transferred from one faculty member to another and another made it all a big, exploding bubble of knowledge, innovation and discovery.

Lastly, after reading Kelly’s reflection, I do realise that this sort of program needs sustainability and one method of sustainability is giving recognition for the hard work of the researchers who willingly give us access to works that sometimes take lifetime to complete.

In conclusion, I feel that OA has created a community of educators and learners, people who take knowledge seriously. I think that is a good method of sustaining education in this extremely fast paced world whereby information becomes obsolete extremely quickly.

Topic 5: Freely available content

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Question: Explain the advantages and disadvantages to a content producer of making their materials freely available online.

In Singapore, censorship is a heavily debated topic. Censorship review committee are formed every year to review films and adjust the rating of the movies or shows. (Teo, 2011) Hence it is common and understandable that content producers would prefer to move on to online platform whereby freedom of speech may seem to be in abundance and sharing is caring.

Open Access (OA) refers to unrestricted online access to research done students or lecturers. Here’s a video about all you need to know about Open Access.

Advantages

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Hence, while a person may argue that nothing is for free, OA grants free knowledge to those who crave for it. One great website that I thoroughly enjoy is Coursera! Coursera grants students and users free access to lectures by prestigious universities such as National University of Singapore or Brown University.

Visibility is one key advantage. For example, when a faculty member publishes a paper, they hope that viewers would see it and give feedback. In the land of the internet, everybody has an opportunity to see what is uploaded.

Another advantage is that it increases the pace of research, with OA I would not need to run to libraries or speak to a billion professors to understand a topic when I could just pull out a research done by them and ask questions when necessary. Overall, speeding up discovery and innovation. (Sparc.arl.org, 2014)

Disadvantages

Publication fees is the first issue I would like to bring up. While access information is free, somebody has to pay for it to be published. This results in researchers being denied OA due to the lack of funds. (Edanzediting.com, 2013)

The second issue is the lack of control over the quality of work done. While this is not an issue for respectable researchers, some may argue that OA encourages researchers to post more so as to cover the cost of publication. While it is a business aspect of OA, it also involves quality whereby the quantity takes priority over quality. (Edanzediting.com, 2013)

In conclusion, there are pros and cons of OA. But the main purpose of OA is to help students and researchers all over the world to gain more knowledge and make knowledge more widely accessible.

 

References

Edanzediting.com, (2013). Advantages and Disadvantages of Open Access | edanz editing global. [online] Available at: http://www.edanzediting.com/blog/advantages_and_disadvantages_open_access#.VIc2OL4ughM [Accessed 9 Dec. 2014].

Sparc.arl.org, (2014). Why Open Access?. [online] Available at: http://www.sparc.arl.org/resources/open-access/why-oa [Accessed 9 Dec. 2014].

Teo, Y. (2011). Media law in Singapore. Singapore: Sweet & Maxwell Asia.

Topic 4: The friendships we form.

Posted on by Vanessa Li

This is my good friend Twitter. I really like my good friend Twitter. I also really like my other friends of the same social circle, Facebook and Instagram.

But every friend, no matter how good, has a flaw. After commenting on Yi Ming’s and Evan’s post, I realised that good friends have flaws. But they are merely mediums or channels of communication. The information that we pass on to them, they just publish. That is their main job. It’s how we users handle these platforms to improve our lives socially or work related.

I found this video on Youtube (Another good friend of mine) which explains the impact social media is creating, the types of policies they have that is supposedly protecting us and what we can do to prevent any privacy leaks. Although I have to admit, watching such a video on Youtube is a little ironic.

A comment from one viewer, brisslayer reads:

This whole issue is not an issue at all, NONE of us are REQUIRED to be HONEST on ANY social media, nowhere does it say that our names, date of birth, location are required to be REAL and the whole thing is a VIRTUAL experience filled with truth and falsehoods and nobody is qualified to tell the diference. Social media is an entertainment tool nothing more it only has ANY value because we WANT IT SO! SORRY!!!

Although I do disagree with him greatly that social media is merely an entertainment tool. The main discussion point is Ethical Issues and this comment is a great example.

The comment mentioned that social media is a virtual experience and nobody is qualified to tell the difference. From this I can infer that people on the web may not be who they say they are. Hence moving back to my point of users handling social media, It is really how we use social media.

On a side note, if these people are giving incorrect information about themselves, does that mean these companies are selling wrong information to marketing companies..?

Also, I came across this other video which I thought would be interesting.

Topic 4: Social Media & Ethical Issues

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Question: Discuss ONE of the ethical issues raised by educational OR business use of social media that you consider to be particularly significant.

Taken from: Tumblr

With its ability to reach millions of customers at the same time, social media has given the users the ability to make informed purchasing choices through reviews and forums. But it’s rapid rise to popularity has seen marketers scrambling to either keep up or get out. (Brown, 2014)

Taken from: Tumblr
Social Media is like this picture of Ariel. There’s always a dark side to everything nice.

One ethical issue I have against social media is Integrity & Security.

Social media cites are often known to invade the user’s privacy by collecting and storing data. This data can then be sold to advertisers. One example would be Youtube. Whereby the demographics, interest and viewing habits are observed. Advertisers are then able to send out adverts that are based on the viewer’s interest. Hence targeting a very niche or specific audience only. (Youtube.com, 2014)

The Bad Stuff

When I first learned of this, my reaction was…

“ARE YOU STALKING ME??????”

With the prevalence of social media usage now, It almost feel like there is somebody watching you. You have no sense of privacy, a cookie is stalking you.

The last issue I would like to mention is the integrity risk for the company. Employees are the ones who controls what goes on in the social media platforms. What happens if your employee is not honest?

In March 2011, Nestle’s employee had replied rudely to a fan in their official Facebook page. Hence violating Nestle’s business principle of integrity and commitment. “Avoid any conduct that could damage or risk Nestle or its reputation”. (Institute of Business Ethics, 2011)

Needless to say, the backlash received sent Nestle and its crisis management team into a frenzy.

The Good Stuff

The only thing I could appreciate about this issue is behavioral targeting (when information is collected through the individual’s web browsing activities).

Companies spend a little effort to ensure that the messages they want to send out are received by the right people. No longer do I see adverts as spam. Well, actually I still do, but at the very least. I am sometimes interested in what they have to say.

In Conclusion…

Social media can be a double edge sword. It can be detrimental to the company if not properly handled and extreme annoying to customers if considered spam. However if used properly, social media is a great tool because of its ability to select and target the appropriate audience.

References

Brown, T. (2014). The Befitting Brand: Ethical Use of Social Media in Business. [online] Digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk. Available at: http://digitalmarketingmagazine.co.uk/social-media-marketing/the-befitting-brand-ethical-use-of-social-media-in-business/844 [Accessed 5 Dec. 2014].

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

Youtube.com, (2014). Advertise – YouTube. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/yt/advertise/ [Accessed 5 Dec. 2014].

Topic 3: Reflection

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Taken from: Pinterest

Notice the very old macbook and ipod..?

Hello once again everybody.

Initially, I felt online profiles were only for the creative people who needed a portfolio. Especially those who do freelance work. But after reading so many post and commenting on Patricia’s and Yu Ting’s blogs. I realised that an online professional account is more than that.

An online professional account is an extension of your resume. In the past it would have seemed cool to have an online presence for work purposes. Now it is a necessity.

Most of my classmates looked at this topic and thought of job opportunities and recruitment.  Simon made a few relevant points that I notice is constant with what most of my classmates wrote.

The need to research on yourself to find any loopholes in your online presence, the need to develop your profile through enhancing the positive points and “mitigating” the negative points. Lastly, the need for honesty and authenticity.

I feel that these are essential steps to make when developing a profile. Although they are a bit commonsense, many web users often overlook these points because of it’s simplicity.

I also really like Ian’s point on being real.

People often get lost in the need of looking holistic and clean to create an image of professionalism. However, they are so caught up in that need they tend to forget that an online profile is suppose to represent the user.

I like that Ian brought up SteveKardynal. Because what Steve has is passion and through his online presence, he shows the passion that he has and that is what attracts employers.

Overall this topic has been very eye opening, especially for me who has been quite myopic in this subject matter. I think I thoroughly enjoy reading what my friends wrote.

Cheers!

Topic 3: Online Professional Profile

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Question: Discuss the ways in which an *authentic* online professional profile can be developed.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Allow me to introduce to you the dynamic and constantly changing art of creating an online professional profile…

First, watch this video for insights on how to create a generic online profile.

To a marketer, having a digital profile expresses the knowledge of digital literacy. It shows that this person with the profile has awareness of the growing industry that is rapidly moving (or is already in) the digital stage whereby digital marketing and e-commerce is all the rage.

Developing an Online Professional Profile

There are many ways and purpose of creating a digital profile. Some examples are LinkedIn for professional networking services or blogs like WordPress for that digital resume. The options are endless.

There are some aspects that needs to be looked at for a digital profile.

Firstly, the profile must represent the user in terms of tonality and imagery. For example, the profile of a graphic designer would differ greatly from that of an accountant. The graphic designer’s profile may be wild, funky and wacky rolled into one. Whether the accountant’s profile may be serious and professional.

Secondly, this profile can also be a hub, whereby all your other social medias or previous works can be viewed from. Therefore, as mentioned in my previous post, consistency is important as it leads to credibility.

A good example would be avatars or profile pictures. They must show the same person and the photos must reflect who you are in real life.

Lastly, updates and participation in profiles is a must in keeping up with times. An online profile is there forever and once you have created something you’re proud of, you would want to update it and keep it checked. You never know when you might need it again.

However, online professional profiles has numerous advantages, it is important not to get too lost it in creating the perfect profile because ultimately, the viewers want to know you. You as in the person behind the keyboard.

In Conclusion…

From the research and readings I have done, I personally feel that the purpose and goal of the profile is the most important because it is the guide, sort of like the spine for the body. The profile then revolves around this purpose and hopefully, achieve the goal.

Another note would be that it is a good idea to Google yourself as the first step and check out what the Internet thinks of you before you attempt to enhance or eradicate that image. What the Internet thinks of you could lead to a future employer’s perspective of you.

Ultimately, the profile is you. It is a reflection of who you are and how you portray yourself.

References

InternMatch Blog, (2014). How to Create a Killer Online Professional Profile – InternMatch Blog. [online] Available at: https://www.internmatch.com/blog/how-to-create-a-killer-online-professional-profile [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].

Markgren, S. (2011). Ten simple steps to create and manage your professional online identity How to use portfolios and profiles. College & Research Libraries News, [online] 72(1), pp.31-35. Available at: http://crln.acrl.org/content/72/1/31.full [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].

WebAppers, (2011). 35 Professionally Designed Personal Portfolio Websites. [online] Available at: http://www.webappers.com/2011/03/08/35-professionally-designed-personal-portfolio-websites/ [Accessed 3 Dec. 2014].

Topic 2: Reflection

Posted on by Vanessa Li

After browsing through and commenting on Kelly’s and Novina’s blogs, I noticed the running trend among my peers.

When discussing online identities. Many people tend to worry about digital crimes and scams. It is a justifiable concern. As Dr Cristina Costa mentioned in today’s Google Hangout, with a computer screen as a shield, users tend to let go of their social ethics.

Taken from: tumblr.com

How does Mr. Security Camera determine if Mr Kitty is good or bad?

Many of us also discussed the use of social as a professional advancement tool. For example, Rochelle mentions the need for connectivity with potential employers. Much like what Kelly had wrote regarding the need for consistency with her personal LinkedIn and Facebook account as examples.

Below is a pictograph on how employers screen potential employees based on social media platforms.

Taken from: Pinterest - CAFNR Career Services

Taken from: Pinterest – CAFNR Career Services

As many of my classmates had mentioned, having multiple identities is common. We have also established that digital footprints are important as Angie had explained.

The need to control it could allow the user to navigate easily in terms of professional work.  It is the way the owner uses their identities that defines the internet’s honesty. The ongoing argument of whether multiple online identities would, in my opinion, never be solved. identity

I do feel that there is a need to have a personal life away from my professional persona in the digital world. I have been keeping my personal Facebook profiles and such extremely private, never linking the social media platforms to each other.

However I do agree with today’s Google Hangout that social media for work is important and that a central hub that links up the various platforms would be helpful. I do intend to create that for my Digital Portfolio.

In conclusion, as a community, it is everybody’s duty to prevent cyber crimes. As individuals, we should maintain our integrity and social ethics online.

It doesn’t matter if we have one or two online identities. What really matters is the way we manage them.

Topic 2: Online Identity

Posted on by Vanessa Li

Question: Discuss the arguments for and against having more than one online identity.

Facebook Signup Page

Does this page look familiar? If it does, then welcome to the hustle and bustle of the online world. Hit sign up to create your first online identity!

Online identities have been defined as who you are and the amount or type of information you release in cyberspace. This can be done through a screen name, an online profile etc.

Before the ubiquity of social media platforms, online identities could and would remain hidden at the owner’s discretion. However with digital advancement and the ever increasing need for online awareness, identity became essential in forming digital communities. The obligation for accountability and privacy led to the pursuit of online authenticity.

And as we know it, employers are checking potential employee’s Facebook profile for racy photos before hiring them. There are even articles on how to hide your various online identities, as people scramble to erase all forms of derogatory evidence.

Multiple Identities (Pros)

The perks of having multiple online identities are wonderful.

One can specifically craft an identity to create a image of what others want to see. Sounds sinister? Yes. But I feel that such methods are necessary.

We are in the marketing industry whereby multiple personalities are used to promote and communicate brands and people.

We also have ultimate control of what people see. If I used a picture of my mother as my avatar, readers would be none the wiser, unless of course, you are my classmate.

People online are forced to adapt to different networks. Naturally, what you see on my blog may not be what you see on my Instagram account because of the subconscious need to appear balanced in our ability to communicate online.

Multiple Identities (Cons)

However, there are cons as well.

Readers are unsure of identities. The are so many internet frauds going on around the world that it has marred the trust people place in the internet. To extend it even further, people has control over their various identities, coupled with biasness, how sure are you that this is truly the person you are trying to make friends with.

There is also the disconnection between the offline and online personas. When you are splitting yourself up into different aspects to suit different audience, you tend to lose yourself. Hence online, you are person A, B or C. But offline there’s only you.

In terms of privacy, well… Do we even have privacy online? Allow this video to exemplify what I mean.

In conclusion, there are pros and cons to having multiple online identities. It is how you navigate and control them that defines its usefulness and validity.

As mentioned by Dave Vronay “It is about controlling which subsets of true facets of a person are relevant in different social contexts.”

References

Carnegiecyberacademy.com, (2014). Cyberspace Communications – Managing Your Online Identity – The Carnegie Cyber Academy – An Online Safety site and Games for Kids. [online] Available at: http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/facultyPages/communication/identity.html [Accessed 1 Dec. 2014].

Casserly, M. (2011). Multiple Personalities And Social Media: The Many Faces of Me. [online] Forbes. Available at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2011/01/26/multiple-personalities-and-social-media-the-many-faces-of-me/ [Accessed 1 Dec. 2014].

Krotoski, A. (2012). Online identity: is authenticity or anonymity more important?. [online] the Guardian. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/19/online-identity-authenticity-anonymity [Accessed 1 Dec. 2014].

Topic 1: Reflection

Posted on by Vanessa Li

After reading through my classmate’s post and commenting on Rachel and Tor’s post. I realised that we all have similar ideas with regards to the concept of Digital “Visitors” and “Residents”.

What I’ve learn thus far is that many people are digital residents. Most of us interact with the world through social media platforms such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

However some, like Rachel, feels that they belong to the happy middle. Which I felt was nice as often, we are pressured to join social media platforms because it’s the “in” thing or for the sake for school work, for example, this module itself. Then from digital visitors, we transform into digital residents. But do we really want to be a digital resident?

What struck me most was Ebrahim’s video regarding the “Amazing Mind Reader” and how he attained his skills. You should check it out if you haven’t. It makes the viewers question social media and it’s effects.

Overall. I understand the need to divide a digital visitor and a digital resident. It was important to segment consumers as such especially if you are a marketer. However, is there really a need to?

From the various views I read I noticed a trend whereby the resident is more preferred than a visitor. It made me wonder why?

We are in the generation whereby digital skills are highly priced. Both the visitor and the resident undoubtedly has the skill sets required in a typical company. As Tor commented with regards to my post, a consumer doesn’t need to be a resident to make purchases.

So in my opinion, the big question is…

Is there a need to segment people into Digital Visitors and Digital Residents?

While I try to figure out how to answer that question, feel free to comment and share what you guys think.

BYE~