Identity
DigPINS starts with an exploration / reflection on one’s own digital identity. Everyone thinks about this and is in a different place, which is meant to add to the group’s conversation. There is no “right way” that is encouraged. Rather, people share what spaces they occupy online. They discuss what has worked for them, what hasn’t, what fears they may have, and their possible ideal identity; i.e. how they see others and how they think others see them.
Some of the guiding questions include:
- Who are you online?
- What social traces do you leave?
- How would you like to start / continue curating or shaping your digital presence and identity?
Please take a look at this
to get you started. It will help explain the activities and resources below.
Activities
- Join our Slack course site: Join our Slack Channel. Update your profile with a picture and say hi! in the general channel. Since we will be interacting completely online even though we are on the same campus and in the same physical space, share a picture or tell us about a place on campus you like.
- There are 2 readings for this week posted below.
- Sync Video Call – We will have two opportunities to meet and greet the members of our community. Look out for an invite in your email.
- Blogging – Write a blog post (by the end of the week or even into the start of next week) with the #DigPINS community as your intended audience (although you may have other audiences in mind and remember this blog is public and will be syndicated at discuss.digpins.org). What to write about?
This week’s post can be a response or reflection to the readings, the visitor / resident activity, a conversation from slack, or anything else you find related – maybe something happened in your life this week or in the news that you find is related to “digital identity”.
If you are having trouble picking a topic maybe think about posting to Slack to ask for some ideas. You can reflect in many ways (writing is only one), maybe, consider a video response – there are no word limits or maximus but remember your audience probably wants something in the middle (not too long or too short). Part of “blogging” is also reading and commenting on others’ posts so don’t forget to do that and remember the posts from all of the cohorts from all four schools is at discuss.digpins.org. Once you create a new post don’t forget to promote your post in Slack or on Twitter – no one knows that you have posted unless you tell them.
Digital Identity Analysis
As a way to analyze, think, and talk about your digital identity we are asking you to make a Visitor and Resident (V&R) map and share it with the group or more broadly on Slack and Twitter if you so choose.To learn about how to make a Visitor and Resident map check out these video and reading resources – Visitor and Resident Typology and Video on VR Mapping. You can choose how you would like to make it but I recommend that you just draw it out on paper and then take a picture of it to share it with us. You may already have more than one digital identity if you maintain an identity for a business or project – feel free to map whichever identity you feel you would like to explore. At minimum share it in our Slack #1-identity channel but if you are looking to share more broadly post it on Twitter using our hashtag #DigPINS.
*Optional but very cool – If you are looking to go even further with exploring your digital identity some of the originators of the V&R mapping have moved away from V&R and started a new mapping process they are calling the Digital Practice Triangle. How does the triangle compare to the 2×2 matrix?
If don’t already have one, start a Twitter account. Your account can be connected to your name or can be anonymous. If anonymous, please share with the group. If you are new to Twitter you can take a look at this: Maximizing Your Learning on Twitter.
Not sure what you want your twitter handle to be – maybe bring that up for discussion in Slack. Remember that Twitter is a public forum.
Ongoing Activities
Slack – By now you should have access to our Slack team. To get started introduce yourself with a few sentences around who you are and why you are interested in #DigPINS in the #01-general channel in Slack.
Note that Slack will be our main mode of communication. To get the most out of this experience you should check it daily. You don’t need to post daily – you can if you want to but we want your interactions to be organic and authentic.
If you feel comfortable, the best way to stay in contact is to download the app and make sure the notifications are turned on.
Some things you could/should use Slack for:
– Posting quick informal thoughts on readings or concepts
– Responding to others’ quick informal thoughts
– Sharing other articles, videos, or podcasts that you come across
– Promoting your blog post each week
– Being notified that others have posted blog articles
– Asking and answering questions
READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Why Academics Need a Digital Persona – Laura Pasquini
In Praise of Living in Public (this article is a great introduction to the idea of context collapse) – Bonnie Stewart
LOOKING FOR MORE/BOOKMARK FOR LATER?
We only have so much time and #DigPINS is designed to be a quick and low-time commitment kind of experience. Digital Identity is a huge topic and if you are looking for more information this curation of articles, tools, repositories, platforms, and security and privacy resources by Lee Skallerup Bessette from a recent workshop that she led at the Digital Humanities Summer Institute is a great resource.