DILEMMA - Public or private communities

Extract from my posting on First Class -

Whether or not to make a web page as part of my degree is still bothering me, and I still can't make up my mind whether or not to pass on this one and update my Blog since I feel that has a greater sense of privacy. I think many of the community are looking at these personal webspaces as a way of communicating something about themselves, and while I have enjoyed reading very much about the first two or three that put together their web pages, I really don't want to the whole world looking in at me, slight exaggeration I know, but potentially. Ok, who do you think will want to look at me, what would be their reasoning? And I think that might be the nub. I feel uncomfortable about strangers learning about me, what would be their motives. I am very aware that the web is a base for all sorts of criminal activities as well as sick individuals and I don't want to risk making myself or my family vulnerable, as it would be inevitable that I include my granddaughter in any web page! Also I think this is something to do with my character. I do not have loads of friends, lots of acquaintances yes, but my true friends are few and very close.... The question is am I getting this out of proportion? There is no pressure to make a web page, but I was really interested in doing this task so hence the internal struggle I am sharing with you. If it had been confined just to the cohort then I would not have these concerns, as I no longer regard you as strangers even though we have never met?

I don't think I am unfriendly or secretive, ....

So it seems that I completely distrust the web, and while I have some sense of security with my Blog I have not included everything that was in my First Class posting since it gave some details I would not want to be anywhere on the Internet, not because of anything bad about me, but because they give insight into my life which could make me vulnerable. This sounds really dagger and cloak doesn't it. But I can assure there is nothing sinister in it. It's more about being careful.

I think I am almost there with my Part A and Part of IOCT. I have to say I think Part A is the better one, but time will tell when we get marked.

There is something very interesting stuff coming out and I one thing I picked up this morning was when typing my FC posting, I suddenly realised that I have trust in my cohort. We have never met, but through communication I feel that these are people I know; they are no longer strangers.

McConnell (2007) is really interesting when talking about groups and how they form by having common characteristics and well as grouping with others who perceive to be similar to themselves, and if you put that together with the information from Nielson (2006) about lurkers, you can see there are many ways in which groups evolve.

Enough for now.

I need to start getting on with some work - the second deadline is in view!

Tricia