Blog 10

Can your PLN be used to help professional development post-course? If yes, how? If no, what limitations exist? Can your PLN be relied on to open professional opportunities?

This week’s interview with Mo Amir is focused much about how Twitter could be used as a platform to expand PLN and help inidviduals’ professional development. In fact, Twitter reminds me of Weibo (微博), which was discussed in this week’s reading as well. Weibo is a microblogging weibsite which was mostly used by Young users. In “From Information Society to Network Society”, the author outlined some issues with Chinese internet censorship, and I experience this personally because I cannot join in Mattermost for this course using my personal network, I had to buy a VPN to get in, and I am still facing the risk of being fined if the government finds out. So when I hear the Mo Amir was saying how he regrets to get into Twitter battles, I am actually envy the opportunity for joining a conversation, even though that conversation might not benefit me personally, but it is the acceccebility opportunity that I am envy about.

PLN is really a new concept and new experience for internet users in developing country, if we consider the government policy around internet usage, I wish I could have the opportunity to use my PLN to help professional development post-course, but I think I am limited geographically, if I choose to stay in China, then my access to Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is limited. Weibo is also highly censored, we cannot post unfiltered thoughts or politic sensitive statement, again, I am envious when Mo Amir said that his interviewers are politicians and they woud bring multiple perspectives in interviews and the Twitter can further attract the publics’ opinions about these perspectives.