To Pseud or Not to Pseud?

So I am struggling with the issue of online identity.  This is partly due to several different personal philosophies, but it also has a lot to do with personal history.  Reconciling the different issues surrounding this decision has led to the worst result possible-no decision at all! So here is my attempt to deconstruct the problem.

In terms of philosophies, I believe in honesty and transparency, and standing behind what you say, do, and write. I also believe that privacy is an illusionary robe with which we cover our social nakedness in our increasingly interconnected society.  Anything we do publicly could be seen all over the world by millions in an instant, and we only make this all the more likely when we put it on a computer ourselves. And the work it would take to prevent someone from  determining the identity behind a pseudonym is not worth the effort for me. So basically, I believe that I should not be putting anything on the internet that I don't want anybody knowing came for me.

On the other hand, I see benefits to a pseudonym that has nothing to do with privacy. A creative and descriptive pseudonym is simply good marketing.  It captures not your entire identity, but that part you want to share with an online community.  It also distinguishes you from digital interlopers and provides virtual "street cred" because crafting an online identity is what the digital culture does.  Adopting the pseudonym is an act of inclusion and revelation, done on your own terms.

How does history apply to this question? I have been involved in online communities for 20 years, the earliest social media service I remember being ICQ.  I have lurked and participated in online chats, discussion forums, and blogs longer than much of the current digital generation has been walking and talking. In that time, I've assumed a number of different identities. I just feel very indifferent to crafting yet another. Two of I choose to separate my social identity from my professional one.  Just thinking about it exhausts me.

Time for breakfast.

No Such Thing as a Digital Native

So lurking about and commenting here and there on this whole "Digital Native/Digital Immigrant" issue has had me thinking a lot about these two terms.  And the more I have reflected on it, the more strongly I feel about the conclusion I have reached.  I find the terms very offensive.  Their definitions and delineations are arbitrary.  The terms suggest a very hard division of knowledge and skills across generations.  And, most importantly, they paint a very inaccurate picture.Let me tell you something that people who embrace the idea of "digital natives" are missing.  Babies are not born with WiFi.  They are not even Bluetooth-enabled.  They are blank slates, cognitively speaking, that will have to learn how to use Web 2.0 just like the misnamed "digital immigrants."  Will they have certain advantages in learning the digital language at younger ages?  Certainly.  But they still have to learn it.  My 8 year-old figured out how to download apps and play movies on mobile devices long ago because he wants to play digital games and be entertained constantly.  He still has no idea how to Tweet, blog, or post to Facebook.  He will learn it in time--if the technology does not become obsolete as new ones emerge--but he does not know it now because he has no need to know it.  Additionally, as an educator I see too many young adults, who should be "digital natives," struggle with technology as simple as email.

On another level, I find the terms objectionable because it was "immigrants" who started the digital revolution.  I remember the world before PCs in every home, cell phones were nonexistent, and the Internet was a speck on the horizon.  As the wave of digital revolution exploded, my generation rode along with the technological currents.  We navigated the uncharted waters of this brave new world and worked to build it into what it is today.  If you want to label me and others of the generations that preceded the digital revolution anything, call us "digital pioneers."  It is infinitely more accurate, and much more respectful.

Web 2.0 and Problem-Based Learning

I came across this article by Catherine Hack that explored the use of Web 2.0 technologies in problem-based learning (PBL).  It was mostly a series of examples from class activities at the University of Ulster that employed these techniques.  What I found most interesting was the table she provided, that suggests particular tools for achieving specific scaffolding objectives related to different steps in the PBL design process.  I have attached it here. 

From article:

Hack, C. (2013). Using Web 2.0 Technology to Enhance, Scaffold and Assess Problem-Based Learning. Journal of Problem Based Learning in Higher Education, 1(1).

Tablet Blogging Apps

So I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to find an app to allow me to blog from my tablet. Seems Google Inc. has not gotten around to publishing one compatible with Surface.  It is available for iPad and iPhone in the iTunes App Store which is not of use to me, though it looks great for Apple devotees.  The Blogger app from Google Inc. that is available on the Surface platform is only a reader and does not allow users to compose and post to their blogs.  I really wish I had read the reviews before downloading it because that was the chief complaint!  It would have saved me some time and frustration.  However, it may be useful as a dashboard and I may investigate using it as such later.  Otherwise I will be dumping the program

I also found that there are a lot of "apps" toted as providing hints and guidance in blogging.  These are also of questionable utility.  The one I tried featured the Google Blogger icon, so I thought it would be particularly useful to me.  However, it was entirely informational and not at all instructional.  It related capabilities and best practices, but did not say how to do these things or what the best tools were.  It was had typos, which made me question the source as well.  

So I attempted using a third-party app for posting to my blog. I settled on Effective Blogger because it was moderately rated and downloaded the app.  After figuring out how to add my blog account to the app, I wrote out a long post.  Disappointingly, it seemed to lack simple features like adding hyperlinks and images.  Worst still was that it would not upload the post to my blog.  This app will soon be dropped from my system along with the hints and tips app.

So I am defaulting to using my browser access on my tablet.  It allows me to write my posts as if I were at a PC, and it may be why Google Inc. has not invested any resources into writing a Surface app.

More on Mobile Blogging Apps

So I decided to do a little more research from home on mobile blogging apps.  (My big sausage fingers work faster on a keyboard, and my weak eyes appreciate the widescreen monitor.) Seems I was only scratching the surface on the topic.  All the recommended blogging programs have mobile apps, allowing you to publish content once you have established a blog.  What follows are a couple of links I discovered with good information for those getting started with mobile blogging.

Social Media Examiner provides an article that lists five ways to use mobile devices for blogging.  They really seem to favor Wordpress as a blogging tool, but what I found most interesting was number 2.  I never would have thought about blogging using my email.

Geeksugar's Best Apps for Bloggers lists out the blogging apps, but then really looks at the companion apps to support your blogging activity and provides her recommendations. I may be looking into the free Photoshop app to see if it has enough features to make it worthwhile.

Blog App

So in the spirit of exploring Web 2.0, I've decided to look into blogging from mobile devices. This is important to me, because I am constantly working on as many as four different systems from twice as many access points, so flexibility is critical. I'm also one of those who has stellar ideas at the most inconvenient times and forget them when I have the chance to do something with them.  A mobile app is one solution for this.

So I have installed Google Incs Blogger app on my Droid RAZR.  The download was quick, and logging into my Blogspot account was a snap. I'm writing this blog during a lull in my son's class field trip, so I'm already taking advantage of writing up thoughts when I have them.    I'll keep using this app and try to share my thoughts on it periodically over the next few months. Part of the testing will be if a pic from my phone posts with this.

Until the next bright idea...

Hi, I'm Mark.  This is my first foray into blogging, so I am sure to make a mistake or two.  (The first being saving the draft of this first post and not publishing it.  Glad I finally caught that.)  This blog will chart my adventures with Web 2.0 as I spend the summer exploring different tools available online for supporting and augmenting online learning.  I plan on getting out of my comfort zone and really try to take advantage of technology.  Hopefully, the information I post based on my experiences will serve to assist the readers of this blog with their own exploration of the same.