After completing my Visitor/Resident digital map as outlined by (White and Le Cornu 2011), I’ve been able to recognize where I spend the most amount of time and what I do on the online platforms that I frequently use. The trends that I see are that as the I move on the spectrum closer to the institutional, I become more of a digital resident, living out a portion of my life online (White and Le Cornu 2011, para. 30) and as I get more personal with my my social platforms of choice, I become more of a visitor, simply observing and taking in information while not engaging (White and Le Cornu 2011, para. 29). Of course there are outliers such as Google search which I only add to with my digital presence on other platforms.
I see now that I am definitely more of an observer in my personal life. I engage very little and this is a gap that I will need to fill as I continue through my MALAT journey. The second piece that I noticed was that my personal time is being spent on less institutional platforms such as imgur, reddit, Netflix, etc. rather that more credible platforms such as Linkedin or WordPress.
White, David S, and Alison Le Cornu. “Visitors and Residents: A New Typology for Online Engagement.” First Monday, vol. 16, no. 9, 5 Sept. 2011.
Wow, Alastair, you have awe-inspiring skill sets when it comes to creating a visual map. What software did you use to create your map? Why do you feel you are an observer in your personal life. I find you very active in our MALAT symposiums, which is one of our platforms. I get a sense of you meet and exceed expectations.
I wish I could have the gap you speak about with my platforms. Observe is a safe place to be. I wonder if it is easier for men than women have a louder footprint on the resident side? I also think balancing our personal and residential side is key, and if you go into your Linked In, you will see a request to connect. There is a little help to get you to the other side. Somewhere in that last line, is a song lyric and an artist who sings it (get to the other side).
Hi Rachelle!
Thank you so much for you kind words. I used Adobe Illustrator to create the visual map. I suppose the reason why I feel like an observer is the nature of my personality. In the Trish Dyck symposium, I mentioned I am a high processor. It takes time for me to take in information and I process it internally. I guess online I might do that too much before I convince myself that what I have to post isn’t really worth posting. I suppose that because the MALAT or at least the symposium felt more like a closed space where I have the psychological safety to announce my opinions.
Observer is a safe place to be but it doesn’t get anywhere unfortunately. I feel this is going to be one of my steepest learning curves as I try to break into the habit of consistent posting. I couldn’t say whether it is or is not easier for men or women to be louder online, but this would be an interesting study to test and try to surmise what that may or may not be. I’m very happy to connect via Linkedin or any other platform, I’ll try to post more and make things more interesting.
Hi Alastair – I share the same thoughts as you when it comes to institutional use. I tend to shift from left to right in White’s continuum. Would you agree that it has to do with our motivation? Meaning, in order to improve our workplace performance, we have to become competent with the technological tools we use. Also, depending on professional goals I find that I tend to discover new tools or applications by reading articles that suggest new “cool” and user-friendly technologies. Surprisingly, I’m not a facebook nor a twitter user. I think I should reassess my decision.
Hi Dino!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who seems to shift from personal to Institutional as we move from visitor to resident. I agree, it has to do with motivation. I think the gratification from retweets, likes, up-votes, etc. doesn’t mean as much as the comments or shares from more institutional content. At work I basically live in SharePoint and have become sort of the resident expert. So much of my work is spread around the office using that platform which feels more meaningful. I’m right there with you! I have Twitter and Facebook accounts but I don’t post much unless it’s very important or meaningful. This is something I need to work on as well.
Hey Alistair. First off your map looks AWESOME! It is visually very appealing. Secondly, I really appreciate where you said that you find you are more of an “observer” . I think that I have the opposite approach. That comment made me go back and reflect on my map to see where I sit. I am definitely more of an engager. Your comment made me realize that I need to sit back on observe sometimes as well. As for your second point, I don’t think there is anything wrong with letting your mind off the leash and letting it play in the sandbox with Reddit, netflix, etc. I tend to spend too much time on “educating” myself when a little play may be what the doctor ordered.
Hi Chad!
Thanks! I enjoyed making the map, but probably spent too much time on it. I really wish I have more of the engagement side in me. Perhaps I can ask for some coaching in this area. I think we all have parts observers or engagers inside of us, but we might have a particular dominant side that comes out more often.
And thanks, I do enjoy my outlets for catharsis, on reddit, imgur, etc. but I doubt they actually help in any institutional fashion. Again, “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” and it’s important to remember to jump in the sandbox. I wonder if I have to cite that line from The Shining?
Kubrick, S., King, S., Johnson, D., & Warner Bros. (1980). The shining. Los Angeles, CA: Warner Bros. Pictures.