Information Age Education

On-line Profile

November 18th, 2006

People seem not to see that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Something that people are becoming aware of is that when you write on the Internet a residue is left. We need to educate ourselves and our students about developing positive and thoughtful on-line profiles.

On-Line Profile
It’s easy to find out your on-line profile. Just type in your name in Google or another major search engine. Do a couple of variations. For example, I would do Rebecca Newburn, “Rebecca Newburn” and rebeccanewburn. Find out what comes up. Read on to find out about some of the unintended residue that can be left on the web. You’ll be surprised!

Tone is Difficult to Interpret
It is too easy to misinterpret tone in an email. Sometimes a short response can come off as harsh. If it’s someone you care about, always discuss things that may be perceived as having an edge in person or on the phone.

Positive Imprints
When we write we need to constantly ask ourselves, “Does this express who I am?” For example, emailing someone in a bad mood or writing a sharp criticism leaves an imprint. Is this how you want to be perceived? Be mindful when writing. First ask if it is necessary to give feedback and if so, communicate in a polite and mindful manner. Leave a positive imprint- one that shows that you have a balanced perspective and are considerate and thoughtful.

Unintended Residue
I used to have my name as my username for everything, including on-line purchasing accounts such as E-Bay. My sister and I periodically check our on-line profile by doing a query on our names. She was quite chagrined when her query showed her E-Bay purchase of Hanky Panky underwear. She and I are both much more aware of when we use our real name and when we need to have pseudonyms.

People need to be taught about how easy it is to attach your name to both comments and purchases. As we become more conscious of the imprint we leave on the planet, we need to apply the same mindfulness to the residue on the web.

Share This

Entry Filed under: Education, Technology, Consciousness, Information Age