Virtual Environments: Is one life enough?

CLASS SUMMARY:

The class discussed ideas around personal branding and referred back to the reading given in the first class. We started by looking at the About Me pages of your blogs and Elevator Pitches made last week. Issues around what your avatar looks like, how you behave online, how others might interpret your behaviour and privacy were raised. We talked about using your real identity and/or a nom en ligne (term for online name coined by Sitearm Madonna and related to nome de plume and nom de guerre) in the context of Second Life, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and blogging.

The appropriate use of LinkedIn versus Facebook raised the distinction between a personal and professional presence online and the difference between commercial branding and personal branding. The importance of being in control of your identity emerged as did the consequences of being available on free spaces such as Facebook where you are the product.

We touched on using these tools for engaging socially and networking.

ACTIVITIES FOR NEXT CLASS:

1. Go: outside your established community/group (eg, this class group) in SL and make contact with at least two people relevant to your interests (artist, gallery owner, shop selling art, etc).
2. Decide: among your group what tools you will use for planning your project.
3. Write the third: post on your blog explaining your choice of communication tools and reflect on how the group arrived at the decision.