Web-dentity

The readings for this assignment were enjoyable. Not so much because I fully enjoy academic reading but because they lent themselves to a subject or an idea that is relative to me as a student and as a student taking a course on cyber writing. Jenkins was very clear in presenting his ideals on participatory culture and why it is not 2.0 which made the reading easy to follow. 

I do believe that there are certain expectations when you speak of one’s identity, whether real-life or online. In reference to the web, individuals can become people, images or characters that they are not necessarily in real life because they have the “protection” of the computer to mask or hide their true identities. With this stated, I feel that when I write online, I have to keep in mind the audience to whom this is presented and the perception that I would want people to conclude about me so I would never reveal my entire self because it could yield positive or negative results and I do not want to base my online existence on a misperception or misunderstanding. In real life, I have no other choice but to be whom and what I really am as this is my norm and I am and will be known as such. 

Online communities are tricky because in one aspect, you may want to be a part of one because either it interests you or to be a source of viable information for the other participants. On the other hand, you may not want to join because of all the free radical and erroneous comments, statements or behaviors of others and you will not fully know if any group has any of those issues until you become a part. With this in mind, I do not join groups or communities often and when I do, it has to have relevance for me or mean something for someone that may want me to be active with it. 

For instance, on Facebook, I have been randomly added to groups that I have no connection to or even understand their purposes. Before I exit, I try to see what they are about and in most cases, it is foolishness or something near and dear to someone else which is not conveyed or reciprocated by me. I hate to be added to groups without my knowledge because I do not wish to be seen as exclusively apprehensive if I decline the request or dismiss myself.

The ones that I have joined were solely a benefit for me. For example, I am an English major and my ex-professor who is now one of my closest friends composed a writing group and I was very humbled and excited about even being considered to take part as I am an undergraduate and these members are ones with Master’s and Doctorate degrees. This could only be a benefit for me so I happily obliged the request to join but not all groups or communities are as pertinent.

The articles did not really affect my perspective but they did bring clarity to some unnamed feelings or thoughts that I had about the web and the overall people perspective issues surrounding this culture.