Exegesis - Samantha Yeomans

Whenever you post information about yourself to the World Wide Web, you need to think about who this information will be available to (Leaver, 2011). New technologies that surround Web 2.0 allow us now to easily generate and publish content on the web. With using these Web 2.0 technologies I was able to highlight my interests and carefully publish them on the web to create an 'internet footprint' for myself. This assignment created a new experience for me because I was not so familiar with some of the Web 2.0 platforms such as blogs, twitter and Flickr. Throughout this exegesis I will be reflecting on the choices I made throughout my web presence assignment and why I made those choices.

My central node was a site from aboutme.com. I chose this site because it was easy to use and it was easy to link my three contributing nodes which is a blog, twitter and Flickr. I based my site around my new found love of travelling. The purpose of the site is to distribute and share content on the web about my interest in travelling. What makes content sharing interesting is the way communities add value to the content through collaborative contribution (Leaver, 2011). The site uses many Web 2.0 platforms making my site able to be distributed globally, but even though it is accessible over the world the site would only generally appeal to an audience who share a love of travelling like myself. The contributing nodes i chose allow for better distribution of content, meaning people would be able to find my conent with ease and also with these nodes people are able to easily interact.

After establishing what central node I was going to use and what topic I was going to present as my presence I needed to come up with a name that would be appealing to others. I chose to go with the name ‘Samantha Yeomans the Traveller’. In the activity for module 1.0 we had to consolidate a common name you would use on the internet. This not only helps in the sense that you won’t forget your user name for different sites because you have a common user name but it also creates and identity for yourself. It creates an identity because on nearly every web 2.0 platforms I use, I use ether my name ‘Samantha Yeomans’ or I use my email address. When people ether see my name or my email address they will automatically know it is me, therefore creating a presence for myself.  In every platform I used for my web presence I used my name so people are able to identify me throughout the web.

The first contributing node that I used for my web presence was Twitter. Twitter is a web-based communication platform that has alternatively been described as a social networking service and a micro-blogging application (Leaver, 2011). I used twitter because it makes use of micro blogging which means it is an instant way for communication. It allows the distributer to post content quickly. It also allows viewers to read quickly. The use of the # symbol has become the Twitter community's way of flagging the content of particular posts (Leaver, 2011). This means that twitter users are able to find updates that have been made. Twitter is an instant way to get your ideas, thoughts and identity out on the web.

My second contributing node is a personal blog. I one of our reading activities a blog is explained as A type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order (Wikipedia). I chose a blog because it was easy to get up and running and it enabled me to write longer posts unlike twitter so I could share more thought and ideas on travelling. Without having a limitation on how much content I can write. I feel that writing more content also allows for more communication from the audience because they gain more ideas and thoughts on travelling because there is more content distributed.

My third contributing node was Flickr. Flickr is an online photo management and photo sharing site that allows for communication. I chose Flickr because it allows a visual contribution to my internet identity. It offers a service which nurtures the formation of communities (Leaver, 2011). People are able to visually see my experiences when travelling and are able to comment on them. I used all my own pictures because I felt that it gives more of a true representation of my love for travelling. However in saying I used my own photos I carefully looked at what photos I would upload. Any data that you post or upload to the Web might be retained - and widely viewable - long after you have forgotten about it (Leaver, 2011). I feel that Flickr complements the themes of my site.

All the Web 2.0 platforms I have used enable the creation for my internet footprint. My central node (website) and my contributing nodes (Twitter, Blog and Flickr) all serve a purpose to create an internet identity for myself on travelling. It is the differences in each platform that shape a web identity for myself for example Twitter provides quick instant posts, Blogs allow for more extensive posts and Flickr portrays a visual contribution. I have had great fun doing this assignment as it has shown me a different Web experience.








References


Leaver, Tama. (2011). What is Web 2.0? [course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au


Leaver, Tama. (2011). Whats in a Name [course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au


Leaver, Tama. (2011). Blogging [course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au

Leaver, Tama. (2011). Social Networking[course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au

Leaver, Tama. (2011). Content Sharing [course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au

Leaver, Tama. (2011). Your Internet Footprint[course notes]. Retrieved from http://lms.curtin.edu.au