Blog Post 1

Question # 1: What does it mean to the network using social media?

Network using social media really depends on people’s intention or attitude according to the third article in this week’s reading. If the intention is to engage in more professional activities, then social media platforms are great tools to build a network that consists of people who have similar interests and goals, or people who are already the expertise in their field. Once the connection is built, according to the personal learning networking model, users can further use the platform to maintain and activate (Kamakshi Rajagopal, Desirée Joosten–ten Brinke, Jan Van Bruggen, and Peter B. Sloep, 2012). 

Question#2: How are we motivated to participate in networked publics? 

One motivation to participate in networked publics is to have an identity in this digital world. We want to share, post, and communicate with others about our success or failure. During interactions, we establish who we are, and see ourselves in other’s reflections (University of Derby, 2016).

Question #3: What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

I learned from the “Networked Privacy” that not only privacy is a risk of public communications, but the machine might also control our likes and dislikes. The big data generated by machines do not represent who we are (Boyd, 2012). This article reminds me of the “Cultural Industry” theory, which suggests that cultural industry creates false needs and desires for us, instead of letting us choose our preferences. Under such context, our connections with others online might also be false, which means that the benefits of public communications are based on false connections. 

Source Used: 

Boyd, d. 2012. Networked Privacy. Surveillance & Society 10(3/4):   348-350.http://www.surveillance-and-society.org | ISSN: 1477-7487

University of Derby (2016). Eric Stoller – What is Digital Identity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0RryRbJza0

Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them

by Kamakshi Rajagopal, Desirée Joosten–ten Brinke, Jan Van Bruggen, and Peter B. Sloep.

First Monday, Volume 17, Number 1 – 2 January 2012

doi:10.5210/fm.v17i1.3559