EDSS 530 Blog Post: Reflection of Dr. White's "Residents and Vistors"

Dr. White's video relating web users as residents and/or visitors of online “space” is a very well thought out and accurate picture of the online communities today. Visitors and Residents often have very different views of the web. Visitors often see the web as a collection of “tools.” Visitors who go online are like opening an untidy toolbox, grab what they need, use it, and then close their toolbox until they have another need for it. Residents see the web as a “space.” They are visible and work at remaining visible; especially on the platforms like twitter that is constantly refreshing itself. 

In watching the presentation/video, I found myself thinking how I view myself as a visitor in certain spaces and a resident of sorts in others. As a mathematically inclined individual, I was very much drawn toward the portion of Dr. White's presentation when he explains that he himself identifies himself on different parts of the continuum relative to the context. In regards to the professional aspect of his life, he revels in the opportunity to be an online resident, and he is comfortable when his name appears in public spaces that reference this part of his life. On the other hand, he identifies himself as, and chooses to be, a visitor to the online world with regards to his non-institutional, or private, life. He doesn’t want information about his family or his whereabouts to be so visible in this world.

My views seem to coincide with Dr. White. In the professional, or institutional, part of my life, I plan on being very visible and hope to be an effective collaborator with educators and colleagues in the online world. With regards to my private life, I plan on being relatively the same in the future as I am now. I have a Facebook, but I have it blocked to the public. I use it to socialize with friends that I have in my non-institutionalized world. I plan on keeping that platform for that purpose. My other platforms will be an open space for me to broaden my professional and educational horizons.