When I started out planning this project, the Student Survival Guide to a Web 2.0 World, I was perplexed as to how I should start. The first steps that I took were to figure out what I wanted to say, to whom I would be saying it, and how I would say those same things. I skipped the whole research phase in the beginning (don’t worry, got back to it!). I just wish that someone had held my hand a bit in the beginning, got me thinking in the right direction.
So that we can have a better discussion in the next instalment next Tuesday, allow me to share a few links to start getting your head in the right spot. These are required reading! These articles came up when Googling “student personal branding” and were very nearly, if not the very same, articles I crawled through whilst back-checking my stories.
If you read one of these, make this the one: Leadership Lab
These others are also good resources and cover a wider variety of backgrounds and for various audiences:
My first year at the United States Air Force Academy had some traditions, including communal meals where all four thousand cadets eat together for breakfast, lunch, and some dinners. One lunch I remember distinctly when another freshman climbed to the announcement tower and hollered aloud to all that it had been “fighting five hours since (his) girlfriend broke up with (him) on Facebook.” Of course, in Academy fashion, he was followed by another freshman announcing that it had been “fighting four hours since he started a relationship with the previous cadet’s girl.” It was hilarious and the entire cadet wing laughed aloud but it had some other implications that I am only now coming to understand.
THREE AREAS OF CHANGE
More and more, our relationships are moving from the private personal interactions, where only those involved knew what was going on, towards public announcements from your life. You might not have known that your best guy-friend was dating again until his relationship status changes online. On the other hand, maybe you saw your girlfriend hanging off some other guy at a party you didn’t know about when those photos were posted up online.
It is a game changer that’s for sure. What makes this sort of change so difficult is that the information is provided for all to see but often times do not come with context. That relationship status change is just an inside joke - your girlfriend was just out with friends and was dancing with her platonic friend at home. In the mean time, you’ve worked yourself up and are stressing out but then you get a text message and you have no idea what to make of it.
The last bit is that text communication has removed a lot of what makes talking with someone so informative. There is no body language or tonal cues for you to understand how something is meant or being said. In the coming of instant messenger, Facebook messages, wall posts, and email, it is incredibly difficult to discern how something is meant. Before we hop into the practical details, what has changed about the relationships themselves?
RELATIONSHIPS ARE CHANGING
Every day I get friend requests online through Facebook, MySpace, and LinkedIn from a whole manner of people that I do not actually know. Society says that it is now required to approve these requests more often than before. These sorts of trends have led us to organize and label our interactions. I have identified four groups in my life for “friends” - Peripheral friends (Facebook Friends, In Real Life Acquaintances), Virtual Friends (People you consider friends through online interactions but have not actually met), Personal friends (You actually hang out), and Intimates (those closest to you such as family and significant others).
DIGITAL PROOF YOUR RELATIONSHIPS AND SELF
I treat all of these groups differently by having sorts of rules or strategies for dealing with them. Here is how I do it:
Use privacy controls - most social networks will let you control who can see what on your profiles. Facebook has added a feature where you can create groups of friends within your friends list and then filter your page to that group based on various custom settings.
Decide what you say - Facebook (sorry for using this so much) allows you to set which activities are reported in you mini-feed. By moderating these activities, you can control the message that actually is put out on the network.
Be conscious of your profile info - You’re the one putting up the info in your about fields. Remember that this stuff may be around for a long time in the database and can come back to haunt you as we will discuss later in the series. So choose your words wisely.
The biggest thing is to make sure you are in control of the message you are sending and the information that is available to others. Consider whether you really want to post up those photos from the kegger from the other night. Not only will future employers be looking for the “real” you but so will your significant others. Could you possibly hurt someone close to you if they saw you doing something? Also - networks that have “top friends” sorts of applications or features, be VERY careful here. Changing the pecking order of whom you count as a friend can have some very serious repercussions. Try to be sensitive to these sorts of concerns and be sure to be clear with those people.
REALITY CHECK
Now that you have the quick and dirty about what to do as far as your information, how do you keep the inner game strong and not lose it over other peoples’ information? Here is a rather sobering quick look.
You do not know the context of that comment, wall post, or photo. You might think that you do… but you do not. You were not there (unless you were) and there are no words to describe that which you are not privy. So don’t jump to conclusions. If something is really bothering you, then you should ask about it. If you ask, be ready for bad news. Do not ask the questions that you don’t want answers to - you have to be ready for the worst.
Odds are, they are not talking about you, thinking about you, and whatever it is you are worried about has nothing to do with you. Again, you have no idea what it REALLY is all about. On top of that, you are just one of the thousands of people that these people know, why are you the one that they are talking about? Well, you are probably not the person. Do not let drama and rumors ruin your relationships. I have had more than one fight come from something that was said or found online.
Finally, the way you think you are saying something or hearing something online probably is not the way it was meant by the sender. Whenever possible, include hints to how you are thinking in your communication. Maybe that is an emoticon (cringe), *action* cues, or just say it, “That was a joke” etc etc. At the same time, if something comes across your screen and it just hits you odd, ask for clarification. There ought not to be any issue with that. In reality, if the issue is important enough that it is upsetting you, picking up the phone might be the best course of action. I know it might not be “tech cool” but at least you will save yourself some concern.
Our relationships are changing their very definition and how we interact within them. It is becoming increasingly trivial to know more than you should and too easy to misunderstand or misinterpret that information. Do yourself a favor and reevaluate how you interact with people online, what you say, how you say it, to whom you say it. The best rule of thumb is that anything you write online in an email, text, message, blog or otherwise will someday become public knowledge - act accordingly.
What do you think? Are we all doomed to knowing everyone else’s business or can we figure out a way to keep ourselves from being caught up in the drama? How do you manage your online and in real life relationships?
Last week we talked about how to keep your computer from being taken but this week we looked at ways to protect your data from thieves if they do take your machine. We harped on the built in Windows service, encrypted file system and Vista’s bitlocker but my real recommendation remains with Truecrypt. Truecrypt is a free program that is highly recommended and has yet to let me down. I encrypt my entire hard drive and then have additional encrypted volumes to ensure that my important info like tax documents can’t be accessed by anyone but me.
TALKBACK:
Do you use any sort of encryption? Is it too much to do? Do you have any suggestions to share with other listeners? If so, please drop a line at collegetechcentral@gmail.com or call the listener hotline at 206.203.1877.
Protect Your Data: Encrypting files and hard drives.
o TrueCrypt: http://www.truecrypt.org - this is my number one recommendation and I think everyone should use it. Not only does encrypting your entire harddrive give you ultimate security, but Steve Gibson of Gibson Research has shown it to actually speed up your system. Plus, you can still use the hibernate function, a feature most encryption programs don’t allow you to use.
o Bitlocker: http://www.tweakvista.com/Article39148.aspx - Built into Vista, bitlocker offers standard, no-frills encryption out of the box. Good for those of you that don’t want to take a chance on anything but Windows
Rebecca Corliss, a friend of mine that I met through Twitter, pointed me to follow @tdefren - principle with SHIFT Communications. It just so happened that the first message I got from him was a link to his blog article about personal branding and social media [see the source here]. He states that he will not hire people he already knows through social media, someone who does not have a presence, a name for themselves online. This got me thinking, what is social media and in what forms do we consume it?
A big part of the Web 2.0 world is wrapped up in a new concept known as social media. The whole idea behind this is that users are generating their own content, sharing content, commenting on content, and in many other ways putting more and more of themselves out on the internet. As Mr. Defren points out, these tools are much more important than just simple entertainment. Rather, the true value of social media is that users can now make a name on their own. Individuals can become renowned for their thoughts and opinions, by showcasing their work right alongside large corporations and media giants.
Today, I will introduce a few social media outlets that optimize the major styles of user-generated content that I can think of.
Podcasting - Podcasts came onto the world stage in 2001 when Dave Winer enclosed a Grateful Dead song in a scripting language then put it out over the internet using RSS (really simple syndication). Apple soon released the iPod, and in 2003 coined the term “Podcasting” for their service in iTunes. At its core, podcasts are simply radio shows that have been recorded and put into a feed that allows users to download and play them back at their leisure. Most podcasters are hobbyists doing it for fun though more and more, mainstream media are getting into the space. In the last year, I have launched my own podcast, College Tech Central, and consume many podcasts a day. In fact, I use podcasts as my primary means for getting my news. [source: wikipedia]
YouTube - A gold standard in user generated content. There are many websites like it, but YouTube is perhaps the most well known. Anyone can shoot a video, upload it to YouTube, and have it open for all to see and share. Users can comment, rate, and subscribe videos making the service a small social network. I would bet that most college students have found YouTube to be a great time suck when trying to concentrate on studying or doing homework, I know it did for me. It is a great service to start with if you are entirely new to social media since it is so easy to understand and navigate.
Flickr - Flickr is a service that is similar to YouTube but concentrates on photography. Here, users can upload and share their photos (and now short video clips too) online. Other users can then search for photos, comment on them, and even share with others. I use Flickr to share all of my photos from studying abroad in Ireland so people back home can peek at all the fun I am having. Advanced users will find that there are groups of other users within the program that share common interests and subjects, thus adding an additional social theme to the site.
Wikipedia - This giant of social media is quite possibly the largest of all social media platforms. For those that do not know, Wikipedia is a publicly editable encyclopedia with entries far more wide reaching than traditional written texts. Anyone can edit the pages but there are community rules and self-moderation groups built into the site that help keep posts in line. I do not think that anyone is getting famous for their Wikipedia articles but if sharing your knowledge is fame enough, consider contributing to the group conscience.
Blogging - Another traditional social media platform, blogging has come a long way from its young roots. Nearly anyone with a computer or internet access now has a platform to share his or her prolific ponderings or just their daily thoughts. Users cover every imaginable topic from what they ate that day to world politics and global business strategy - heck, there are blogs written about how to write blogs. What is great about blogging, as with podcasting, is that blogs can enjoy tremendous engagement from their audience. Feedback, comments, voicemails, you name it - they all contribute to the show. Communities grow up around favorite writers. This is a must-do on your personal branding to-do list (more on that later in the series). Wordpress.com and Blogger.com are two free blogging platforms for you to get started.
Twitter - Twitter is the new kid on the block. The service is based on micro-blogging (think Facebook status updates in real time). Basically, users will “follow” each other posting updates, thoughts, links, or breaking news. The great thing about Twitter is this: interaction. Being conversational and really making some relationships can earn you HUGE dividends later on. Remember what Todd Defren said, if he does not know you already, why should he hire you? Twitter is a great way to engage others, learn from the leaders in your field, and gently build credibility by making a name for yourself on the service.
Social media started as a voice for the people and that will always be at the heart of the matter. These days, however, brands and companies are slowly getting the clue that they can engage their customer base in unique ways that provide much greater value than traditional advertising ever could. They are building their brand through social media and so should you. Next week, we will be talking about how to information Web 2.0 and relationships.
Did I miss any big ones here? Do you have any favorite social media sites? Want someone to find you and your work online? Post a comment or send us and email at collegetechcentral at gmail dot com. Catch you all next week.
If you are a student or just an alum that still has a “.edu” email account somewhere, you’re in luck. I just picked up a link to Microsoft’s Ultimate Steal campaign. They are offering Microsoft Office Ultimate for $60.
This package includes everything you could possibly want for your office productivity needs: Outlook 2007 With Business Contact Manager, Word 2007, Excel 2007, Powerpoint 2007, Access 2007, Infopath 2007, Publisher 2007, Groove 2007, and OneNote 2007.
LINK: http://snurl.com/27xux [Disclosure: MS has an affiliate program going for referrals. This link is not part of that program]
It’s interersting the timing of this campaign as it lands just on the heals of the Open Office 3.0 beta release.
