Twitter and Creativity

For a long time (and arguably still today), no one really knew what Twitter was for or how to use it. Is it a social networking site? Is it a utility? Is it an information network? Is it sort of all three? Sometimes it seems to depend on your perception of the platform and how you use it.

The other topic we're covering this week is Content Monsters. You've been blogging for a few weeks now. Creating content (constantly) is HARD. And you have to be plugged in to be able to curate anything. Yet, a lot of people say that they either want "to do" social media for a career or figure that it will be a part of their job description anyway, so we better figure out how to get good at creating and curating.

So for your blog this week, you can go in a variety of directions: 
Ponder: What is Twitter for? What can we do with the platform? How does it hold power to shape our realities? Or does it? We say we go to Twitter for our news. What does this say about how informed we are about our surrounding world.

Photo Courtesy of Max Pixel

Find a recent article concerning Twitter in the news. Link your article to your blog post.  (A simple Google search under the 'news' tab on Google using the search terms 'news articles about Twitter' can lead you to articles, for example). Does what this story reports on match up with your perception of what Twitter is for? Why or why not?

For example, the article I linked above talks about New Jersey's Twitter account and how it has begun to (re?)shape people's perceptions about the Garden State. The account is sassy and matter-of-fact, a "savage" and bold move for an official account for the state's government. If I hold the notion that Twitter is about making connections with people (that is, I use it to be a more informed and social citizen), this article might support my perception of the platform as a place where I can adopt a specific style and attract a following because of it.

Photo Courtesy of New York Times via @NJGov

Another option for this week is to think about what it means to be creative. What is the creative process? In class on Wednesday, we talked about how being creative on demand is difficult and creating content for a social media account isn't as easy as it seems. Reflect on any of these things in your blogs post this week.

Gif courtesy of Giphy

Don't forget: Blog posts are due by 5PM on Friday.

Gif courtesy of GIPHY Studios

Make sure you break up your text with a gif or picture. As we have read and continue to read in our tips by K+F, long blocks of text make posts more difficult to read!

Disinhibition, Optimization, and Constructs - Oh my!

This week we discussed some of the "harder" concepts so far in this class, especially in VanDijck Chapter 2. We've begun thinking more about how we present ourselves in spaces online both personally and professionally, and we've begun to understand some of the economic impacts of some of our favorite platforms "going public."

You may have some thoughts based on our two days of class discussion this week or based on your logs for the New Media project. If so, tell me what you think about that. But if you're struggling with what to blog about this week since our content is a bit more abstract, here are some ideas:

We've focused a good bit on representing yourself professionally in an online space. What would you call your top 10 tips for presenting a professional image online, especially as college students? (Think Letterman's top 10 style!) Include at least one photo along with your Top 10 List.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Sometimes we say and do things online that we would never say or do "in real life." Reflect on a time that you noticed the online disinhibition effect totally happening in one of your online encounters. Do you feel like it was toxic, benign, or a mixture of both? If you had to do it over again, what would you do?

This is Stan from the Old Disney show, Dog with a Blog. Because, you know, online no one knows that you're a dog. Unless you tell them and have your own blog called Dog with a Blog.

As always, blogs are due by 5:00 p.m. on Friday!

Blog Post #2: Impression Management

The theme of this week is Impression Management. You'll note that in class we've been focusing on the many selves we have to maintain in our daily lives, and social media can further exacerbate the need to keep up with multiple identities.

Impression management is literally about putting our best face out there for audiences to see as they encounter us in social media spaces. We will talk about truth, performance of self, and how it relates to impression management.

Some questions to ponder as you think about your blogs and your themes as they relate to this week's topic:

• How many selves do you feel like you project on your social media profiles? 
• What is/where is truth and why do we choose certain features to promote in online settings?  
• What do you think some of the ethical considerations should be as we decide which face to present to people online? 
• What do you think are some of the pitfalls/dark sides to impression management? 

Even if your blog is geared to something very specific, impression management still matters. Why is understanding impression management in this digital age so important?

Courtesy of Mastering the Dynamics of Communication Technology Blog

Include at least one photo in your post! Posts are due by Friday, February 7 at 5:00 p.m.

Your First Post - Spring 2020

This week, your post should be a basic introduction to who you are and what your blog will be about - it's your first post, so you can really carve out your niche in this space. You have to start somewhere, and what better way than to start off with an introductory post!

Photo Courtesy of Michael Lee Stallard: Helping Leaders Create Cultures that Connect

While you will have some freedom to write about what you want from week to week this semester, remember that you should make an effort to connect what you're writing about to what we talk about in class too. If you need help or inspiration some weeks, feel free to chat with me!

So - introduce yourself. Who are you? That's a loaded question. Unpack it (using as much self-disclosure as you deem fit for an online space). Example things to potentially include: Name and where you are in life right now, what you want to do in life, etc. 

Now... as you went through the process of creating your blog, you made specific decisions in terms of the theme, background, the images, font, and other things that you selected over something else. Was there a reason for that? Maybe offer some insight into that. Do you have a specific theme you plan to stick to throughout the semester?

Next - what makes you tick? What interests you? This can potentially be the direction of your blog. It doesn't have to be just one thing either. This is your space. Personalize it. Make it your own. Give your reader an idea of what you're planning to write about. If you want to add a picture, feel free but it's not necessary to -- at least not right now.

Your blog post should be a few (short) paragraphs. Notice how in this post, you have small chunks of writing with space between paragraphs. It makes for a more pleasurable reading experience! Remember, you're writing for a specific audience (me...), but I encourage you to share your blogs with others too. 

Don't foget, posts should be up by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 31. Happy Blogging!

Welcome to COMM 373 - Spring 2020!

Happy Spring Semester, COMM 373! Hope you all had a fantastic Winter Break! Welcome back to your mountain home! Break was long, #amiright?

Emmit is excited you're back!

Are you ready for a great semester in COMM 373? I hope you are, because this class is going to be awesome. Check our trusty blog here for all of your updates and needs. If you have any questions, I'm available via email and Twitter (@MCK_PhD).

Let's get to it!

Welcome to Fall semester 2019!

Happy Fall Semester, COMM 373! Hope you all had a fantastic Summer Break! Welcome back to the  your mountain home!

Emmit is excited you're back!

Are you ready for a great semester in COMM 373? I hope you are, because this class is going to be awesome. Check our trusty blog here for all of your updates and needs. If you have any questions, I'm available via email and Twitter (@MCK_PhD).

Let's get to it!

So what's up with this blogging thing?

By now, all of you are linked to the course blog roll AND you've posted a couple times. One was an intro about yourself; the next was trying to incorporate the idea of impression management into your post. This week our topic is a little more difficult to blog about, so this week you can stick with your theme a bit... carve out your social media class blog a little more!

Remember, each week, you'll post at least once, trying to capture the essence of the theme you started out with at the beginning of the semester. Most weeks you should try to relate your post back to something we're talking about in class.

One of the things you should consider is giving your blog its own identity. This will take some time to develop; but much like your own identity, your blogs can take on a specific theme and your posts can fit into that theme. Maybe you want to be inspirational. Maybe you want to think about faith. Maybe you want to think about travel. Or food!

Even this dog keeps a blog... so if Stan can do it, so can you!

Whatever it is, think about what kind of theme you may want to stick to, and try to tailor your posts as much as possible to that and our topics as the semester goes on. This way, you'll have the beginnings of your own space in the blogosphere. Who knows where it can take you!