A digital identity change – Allie Munro
The measure of intelligence is the ability to change
– Albert Einstein
Neo, a character from the Matrix trilogy (Wachowski & Wachowski, 1999), faced a decision: he was given the choice of taking a blue or red pill. Taking the blue pill would mean Neo would return to the life he has always known, or he could take the red pill, which would take Neo into an unknown world which he cannot come back from. A few weeks into the Learning and Technologies program at Royal Roads University, I am faced with the same decision.
I recently completed an analysis of my technology use by plotting each technology in a diagram using visitor/residence and institutional/personal tension pairs. Through this analysis, I could identify my frequency and whether I am a visitor or contributor to digital networks. The result, as expected, is that I am a visitor (lurker) with a contribution limited to institutional work.
This identity does not align with my future goals, so, like Neo, I have chosen to take the red pill and make my presence known in the digital world. Unlike Neo, who was thrown into this world immediately, my journey will follow a transition plan with clear goals and metrics that will define success for my new digital identity.
Why change my digital identity?
Multiple reasons led me to want to change my digital identity and, most importantly, my career aspirations. The pathway I want to take to grow my career at Lockheed Martin requires me to become known as an industry leader outside the company, both socially and through published work. The second is a recent interest I acquired in my few short weeks in the MALAT program: to engage and contribute to current industry issues. The readings we were assigned in Unit 2 and articles I came across via recommendations from insight discussions have shown me unique perspectives and elegant ways to explain technology and learning advancements.
A new perspective
Until last week, if you had asked me to explain the ethics of using artificial intelligence, I would most likely have spoken about fair use and copyright issues. However, due to my engagement in critical discussions, Chris Henderson, a fellow student in the MALAT program, informed me of a blog article from TIME by Billy Perrigo called “Exclusive: OpenAI Used Kenyan Workers on Less Than $2 Per Hour to Make ChatGPT Less Toxic”. In this article, Perrigo (2023) highlights that for OpenAI to ensure ChatGPT did not provide unwanted responses, the training data set had to be vetted by humans, specifically data labellers from Kenya working for San Fransciso-based company Sama. Perrigo explains that although provided the illusion of choice, workers were paid roughly $1.32 an hour to sift through challenging to read and see (imagery), ultimately leading to psychological harm in some cases.
This change in perspective and my engagement with social networks will expand my mind, enabling me to meet my career aspirations and be a thought leader in the industry.
How will I change my Digital identity?
In these early stages of adopting a new digital identity, I have identified three key areas to focus on that will serve as a foundation for expansion in the future. A key focus for my transition plan will be accessibility in physical, cognitive, and social terms.
Platform
Selecting a social media platform is like hitting a moving target; technological advancements and social interests change daily, so the platform I choose is expected to change. My first instinct is to select a platform that allows accessibility in a fast-paced environment, such as podcasts. This platform will enable listeners to join in during their daily activities, such as cleaning, exercising, or commuting, to name just a few. However, as a former digital marketer, I understand the power of textual content in search engine optimization (SEO). My goal is to reach a broad audience within a specific network. Due to its high SEO applicability, a textual platform will be an excellent first choice for me to get a wide audience and enhance my writing abilities in anticipation of my future published work.
Contributions
While I find my voice and build a platform, I plan to engage in topics by providing insights, questions, and opinions in blog articles. This process will help me build confidence in speaking on social media, which I need to gain experience in. Each time I comment on a blog, my name will be included, providing a hyperlink to my blog. This indirect approach to getting back-links to my blog will provide an excellent boost to my SEO strategy.
Consistency will ensure I maintain an active voice and build knowledge and perspectives on complex topics. I aim for a regular rhythm of commenting and curating, measured through analytics, holding me accountable for maintaining a consistent volume of contributions. When choosing blogs on which I will provide comments, I will ensure the blogs offer an inclusive environment where readers feel comfortable responding and creating a dialogue. It’s also essential that I do not comment on blogs with a financial barrier. I want my voice to be heard by anyone who wants to listen to it and not be monetized.
Voice
My voice is what truly gives me my identity. I want to foster a welcoming and engaging tone when users read my articles or comments. When writing to my users, I will ask questions, provide calls to action, and make any comments. Writing integrity will be one of my key focuses. Translating the values of academic writing, I will ensure that any opinions or ideas that drive me to conclusions or support my arguments are cited.
This week, I represented the second week of readings, which ranged from blogs to academic articles. Although the authors are likely trying to be concise with their wording, I needed the aid of Google to help understand uncommonly used words and, therefore, broke the tempo of my reading as it took time to think or find the word’s true meaning. To enhance accessibility, I will aim to write in straightforward language, avoiding complex words that could be misunderstood and slow down the reader’s tempo.
Goals
To ensure the success of this transition plan, I have identified three SMART goals.
- Comment and engage in ten discussions on a variety of topics related to learning and technology by May 31st, 2024
- Implement and set analytics dashboard for RRU Moodle blog to measure reach by June 28th, 2024
- Engage in five LinkedIn posts and or discussions on topics related to learning and technology by June 28th, 2024
These goals may or may not set the bar high. As I challenge myself to break down the digital barrier, I will be better equipped to gauge whether these goals represent a challenging and achievable starting point for my new digital media identity.
References
Higgins S. (2024, March 24). 23 Must-Read Quotes About 44 Inspirational Quotes About Change That Will Help You Think DifferentlyData. https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/quotes-about-change
OpenAI. (2024). Person chooses between tranquil living room and vibrant digital scene]. https://chat.openai.com/
Perrigo. B. (2023, January 18). Exclusive: OpenAI Used Kenyan Workers on Less Than $2 Per Hour to Make ChatGPT Less Toxic. https://time.com/6247678/openai-chatgpt-kenya-workers/
Wachowski, L., & Wachowski, L. (1999). The Matrix [Film]. Warner Bros.
Hey Allie,
great post! I wanted to drop you a line to say how much I enjoyed it.
I must admit, I’ve been a bit swamped this week, but for the most exciting reason—I had the incredible opportunity to attend the “Building Futures” conference at SAIT in Calgary. It was an absolutely amazing experience delving into the future of Skilled Trades Education and its future.
After completing the tension pairs mapping assignment, I’ve realized the necessity of expanding my digital presence across additional platforms. Your analogy of choosing platforms being akin to “hitting a moving target” resonates deeply with me. It’s challenging to allocate time and energy to a select few platforms when the landscape is constantly evolving. There’s a lingering sense of uncertainty about whether the investment of time will yield the desired results. It’s the age-old conundrum of wondering if I’ve made the best choice or if there’s a better alternative out there.
Cheers my Friend!!
Thank you very much Darren!
I feel the same way about selecting the right tools. Regarding software development tools, I feel like I learn a new one every six months. I used to be excited about learning new tech but now I find that new tools are just flavours of others with just a sprinkle of innovation. I expect the same on social media. What I learn on one platform will apply to another regarding getting more reach and engagement. The biggest difference will be the audience on the platform; awareness of this is critical. An obvious example is Facebook. I wouldn’t post an academic article there, but I would on LinkedIn. This same mindset would apply to other platforms; beyond that, they will be mostly the same as is with software technology.
Excellent plan Allie and thanks for the shout-out re: ethics of AI. Like Darren, your perspective on choosing a social media platform to build your presence being similar to hitting a moving target resonated with me. However, your willingness to be flexible and adaptable over time will only expand your competency across platforms. Looking forward to seeing your LinkedIn posts!
Thank you Chris!
You have a wealth of knowledge and show a willingness to learn and digest information. Please feel free to contact me as a sounding board for thoughts on topics or to share articles you have read!
Good persperctive
Thank you, Mo. As shown by the great questions you asked in your post on this topic, there is a lot to digest. I hope that while I pursue this plan, I can better answer these sorts of questions.
Allie, I love how you are able to weave in a bit of pop culture in your posts, using Neo’s journey as a metaphor for your own.
I think your plan and goals are well thought out for what you need to do to change your digital identity. I love how you’re all in on engaging with industry issues—it shows you’re serious about growing personally and professionally. Your goals are super clear. I’m excited to see how you’ll expand your digital presence and what reference will pop up next!
Thank you Heidi!
I love movies, I quote great lines all the time with my friends; whenever I can weave them into my discussions, I will. Thank you for the comments on the clarity of my goals. I have been working towards them and can’t wait to share my progress and findings.
Really interesting post – thanks Allie. I look forward to checking out your podcast!
It will be interesting to learn from your experience as you build this new presence. One question that occurs to me is the “return in investment” as the time and effort to keep a podcast moving seems like it could be significant. I will be interested to learn your perception of the benefits and challenges of this strategy over time.
Thank you, Russ! You are right about the ROI. I, too, have the same question, and it concerns me. If I were to turn on the mic and start talking, it would not be well organized for the listeners, and I am sure I would jump around on topics. Having a second person in the podcast would help keep topics on track but also allow the conversation to stay organic, which is a goal of mine.
With my academics, I don’t think the podcast is realistic in the short term. However, it will stay on my radar as my target platform when time becomes available.