Andrew Ghiacy

And so it’s time for the blogging adventure to come to an end. The legacy lives on in the skills I have acquired during my exploration into the various topics proposed in this module. When I started this module, I was curious as to how such a learning experience could be implemented solely online. The result has been a thoroughly enjoyable virtual community of fellow bloggers, debating the big questions regarding online usage and identity. Continue reading →

One of the key points I have learned from this topic is the structure that governs the production and distribution of academic journal articles. Thanks to Bartosz’s diagram (as shown below), I finally realised how the structure loosely resembles the music industry’s methods of distributing music. Whilst journal companies take the largest cut, the author takes a small fee at the expense of having his/her article reviewed and placed within a reputable journal firm. Continue reading →

It was ironic to begin researching this topic, only to find that most of the relevant articles I needed were not accessible for free. Such articles were only available if I searched through the university VPN, as Southampton University has paid for access to academic journals. As demonstrated in this video, Nick Shockey and Jonathan Eisen explain some of the issues surrounding open and closed access. Continue reading →

During this topic, I was fascinated to learn some of the other blogger’s beliefs on some of the challenges and ethics of social media. My own blog post focussed on some of the misuses of social media that can lead to breaches in privacy. However Tatiana discussed some of the misuses in terms of ‘careless venting’. She triggered some thoughts relating to whether free speech is something to remain free, or something to regulate and mediate. Continue reading →

Identity theft is a challenging subject which very few people understand, nor believe it will happen to them. Whilst traditional ideas of identity theft consists of bank fraud (not shredding bank statements), there’s a new strain of fraud associated with our online identities. As an avid user of social media, and a lover of Facebook and Instagram, I feel strongly in favour of the right to privacy – and websites should be doing more to help us with it. Fire et al. Continue reading →

Topic 3, on the ways in which an online professional profile can be managed, has been particularly interesting and relevant to myself, as I will soon be applying for jobs. During the task, I found the YouTube video by Distinctive Career Services particularly helpful in furthering my understanding on the topic. There are a mixture of opinions when it comes to professional self-promotion. Continue reading →

When it comes to one’s job search at the end of university, one of the first things we are urged to consider is our online presence. In our inevitable pursuit to impress and be noticed by future employers, it is critical to develop an online profile that reflects your professional side. There are a selection of horror stories featuring real-life examples of when people fail to uphold their professional online identity. Continue reading →

The discussion surrounding the advantages and disadvantages of multiple online identities has opened my eyes to the importance of understanding which system to consider. Continue reading →

Owning more than one identity online is a particularly common occurrence in our existence in the online world. The arguments for and against having multiple identities online are particularly divisive amongst the online community. In this blog, I will discuss some of these arguments and offer my thoughts on the topic. With many of our lives firmly linked within the online world, multiple online identities are commonplace and serve different purposes. Continue reading →

The discussion on the digital ‘resident’ and ‘visitor’ has been enlightening. It has increased my understanding of some of the debates surrounding who fully utilises and benefits from technology. Although difficult to quantify, Tamara Manton’s citation of White’s Matrix was particularly helpful in simplifying the question of exactly who is a digital resident and visitor. Continue reading →