#UOSM2008 Topic 6: Final Reflection
1.Provides the evidence base for the development of your own online professional profile during this module.
My profiles after I have finished the course:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=231448669&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cristian_sima
About me: http://about.me/cristian.sima
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cristian.sima
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CristianSima93
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VirtualShare77
Instagram: http://instagram.com/cristian.sima/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cristian_sima
About me: http://about.me/cristian.sima
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cristian.sima
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CristianSima93
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/VirtualShare77
Instagram: http://instagram.com/cristian.sima/
My blog: https://cristiansima93.blogspot.com
8tracks: http://8tracks.com/cristian_sima
Projects and diplomas: http://vsh.ro/cristian_sima/
Q1. Why did you choose the module?
I am studying Computer Science at University of Southampton. Thus, I came from the field of programming, where the creation of applications is more important than their social impact. By taking this course I wanted to improve my social influence of online services, a part which was not touched during my studies. I have created many online projects (from simple websites to complex web applications for data mining). It is important for me to understand the consequences of the social media, the tools to maintain the human contact on the online environment.
Q2. What in particular do you want to learn from the module?
I wanted to learn how and why should I improve my online presence. I understood that
Q3. Which degree programme are you studying?
I am studying Computer Science at University of Southampton.
I am studying Computer Science at University of Southampton.
Q4. Have you studied online before?
Yes. I enjoy taking online courses. I have started last year with a course offered by Edx.org
through Harvard University. Being a fresher at that time, it was a great opportunity for me, to understand the content which is taught at one of the best universities in the world. Not only that I have finished with 100%, but I also got a diploma signed by the teacher Dr. David J. Malan. Moreover, Coursera, another big open course provider, gave me the possibility to explore the courses from many universities and to improve my knowledge. I have attached a record of the courses which I took using Coursera (see Figure 1).
Yes. I enjoy taking online courses. I have started last year with a course offered by Edx.org
through Harvard University. Being a fresher at that time, it was a great opportunity for me, to understand the content which is taught at one of the best universities in the world. Not only that I have finished with 100%, but I also got a diploma signed by the teacher Dr. David J. Malan. Moreover, Coursera, another big open course provider, gave me the possibility to explore the courses from many universities and to improve my knowledge. I have attached a record of the courses which I took using Coursera (see Figure 1).
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| Figure 1 – Courses record on Coursera |
UOSM2008 Digital Profile – Self Test
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Rating at start of module
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Comments before
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Rating at end of module
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Comments after
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Accessing, managing and evaluating online information
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4
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I did not understand the importance of Twitter and LinkedIn
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5
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I feel more confident because I understand the importance of social media for my carrier and personal use. I have improved my online profile on many of them and now I am using Twitter every day.
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Participating in online communities
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3
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I was engaged just in Facebook groups
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4
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Using my blog, Twitter and LinkedIn now I can participate and learn more. I am feel more open and I write posts using my blog. I commented on the blogs of my mates and this aspect gave me the power to be more open in the future
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Building online networks around an area of interest
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4
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I was using Facebook in order to do this
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5
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Twitter and LinkedIn are great tools to use now. I am using every day LinkedIn to read articles from my interested personalities. For instance, I am enjoying to read the articles of Sir
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Collaborating with others on shared projects
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5
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Using Facebook groups or Google Docs
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4
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Twitter is a very good network. I can use the # for a subject and talk with others
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Creating online materials (text, audio, images, video)
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2
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I did not have a blog at the start of the module, thus I felt more uncomfortable in order to express my ideas
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4
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After the many number of posts on my blog, I can express myself and create online text content
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Managing your online identity
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2
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Except Facebook and Google plus, my activity
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5
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Now I am available on all the main online networks. I have tried to have the same online identity (eg. The same profile photo, same e-mail address).
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Managing your online privacy and security
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3
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All my post from Facebook were public, I found my phone numbers on Google Plus
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4
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I updated all my online profiles. I have changed the setting such that now they reflex my opinion on privacy
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I created table which contains all the important changes I have done for the main social networks (click on the social network to see my profile in a new window):
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Social media network
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Before the start of this course
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After the #UOSM2008 – Now
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I did not have an account before the course, because I did not understand the use of it
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I have created a Twitter account; I set up my profile and used it to communicate with my colleges and the teacher. Now I use it every day to twit or to see other’s twits. It became a part of my everyday routine and a useful way to stay informed. I even reached the number of 11 followers.
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Used just for personal interest
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Now, after the course, I understand the importance of this social network and its potential consequences for my career. For example, I do not post comments or photos which can be used in the future against me, I try to have a list of friends who are considered important or behave the same as me. Every post that I have to write I check it twice. I do this because there could be a potential employer who can check my profile. Also, even if a want to start a new project it is now very important for me to have a consistent and professional profile. Also as a consequence of understanding the course I have changed my profile photo, which was more for friends with a professional one which can represent a student.
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I had no account before the course. I did not understand the use of it.
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Now I have an account and I understand its important role. My LinkedIn profile was not only a way of expressing my activity but also a way of informing me, for instance: I enjoy reading post of Sir Richard Branson. I have tried to add all my courses, studies, diplomas and to find all the possible people who are using this network. I used my memory or Facebook account in order to search and find people who I know. After this course, I have 50 connections and many of these people endorsement me skills.
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I did not have a blog at the start of the course. At that time, I did not feel I am the person who should express his ideas using this method
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Now I have a blog. After the big number of posts I have started to enjoy the idea of this type of expression. I even started to be happy when my colleges commented my post and I gave them a reply. I have added on the blog links to all my online profiles and also a section for my posts on Twitter. Moreover, I added my Google Plus profile there. It is important for people who visit my blog to have access to all my online activity
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I did not have an account. At the start of the course, I did not understand its importance
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Now I have an account and I have linked all my online profiles using this account. It acts links everything ‘about’ me and I use it every time I have to a new person who I am.
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I had an account, but it was not important for me
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I have updated my profile information and also reviewed the circles with people. Thus, it reflects now my personal information. I am using it for my YouTube account.
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I did not know which results are generated for “Cristian Sima Southampton”
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I have removed one of the comments which was affecting my imagine. This comment was present in the Google results. I have tried to make my profiles to appear there
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No profile before the course
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I have created an account and now I am using it to share and store my photos. Also, it is a very pleasant way to watch photos of my friends every night.
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2. Reflects upon what you have learned during the module about living and working online and how you will take this forward into the future.
I can firmly claim this course was one of my favorite ones during the university. I really enjoy taking online courses because in my opinion this type of learning highlights the interactivity between the colleges and it offers you more knowledge than a standard one. When I had to choose the optional module, I was wondering to take this module about social media. In my view at that time, the course was not teaching me something practical, as I was used to do in my degree. Now, after all the topics and having gained a lot of practical knowledge, I feel I did the right choice because the skill which I have gained in this module help me to be a more sociable person.
Firstly, I think the main benefit of taking this course is that it made to understand not only the importance of the social media for this modern world, but to enjoy being an active online person. Twitter and LinkedIn were for me just a waste of time, because I did not see their important role. After taking this course, I now feel more confident and I have learnt how to use them for me. Twitter is now for me an everyday provider of actual events or news, whereas LinkedIn acts like a personal CV where the people who know me can confirm my skills. LinkedIn made me to be more ambitious and to try to study more, to take more courses in order to improve my profile. As a consequence of this, I was very proud to add, in the certification section on LinkedIn, the statement of achievement offered by Coursera for my last course (Figure 2).
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| Figure 2 – Section of Certifications on LinkedIn |
Furthermore, being more open to new tools is another positive consequence which the course has shown me. As I mentioned above, I did not have a blog before because I restrain myself to express. This post helped now to transforms in words what I believe. Also, I saw that the interaction with my mates is a very and important step for my expression of ideas. I found that every comment that a college has posted was a great opportunity for me to debate some of the questions regarding the topic.
Another important aspect which I have learnt from this course is to maintain the consistency of my online presence. As a result of this, I have changed the photos and the email to be professional on every profile. By having a real photo and a single e-mail address, I have tried to be the same presence on every website. Moreover, now I understand the importance of social media, in the future I will try periodically to improve my online presence and to avoid problems which can affect my carrier. (for example, #hasJustineJustLanded).
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| Figure 3 – My Twitter Profile |
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| Figure 4 – Facebook profile |
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| Figure 5 – My About.me Profile |
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| Figure 6 – My Google Plus profile |
To sum up, now I feel a more confident person because I understand which and how to use social networks. Topics such as privacy and working on web made me aware which information I should deliver to the online services. #UOSM2008 was for me a great course which made me to enjoy social media. Because of this, now I am very happy to start a similar MOOC about Google products. I would like to have you among my colleges. Thus, if you want to join me, you can do it here.