Lately I've noticed a convergence between parts of myself that I used to consider as separate entities. I'm talking about my physical self, the me that exists in the tactile world who likes to run, write, and garden and the me who exists online out in the ether. The me who enjoys surfing the web consuming information like a junkie and distributing it like a dealer. Recently I've had trouble determining where which me ends and the other begins.
Take last weekend for example. Saturday morning was my last long run in preparation for the Flying Pig marathon in three weeks. I also planned to run a 5k to benefit autism research that afternoon. The challenge of doing both was appealing because they are entirely different runs (one is about endurance and the other about speed). But what became fascinating to me in retrospect was the fact that I found myself documenting it all as it was happening. I Twittered about it (first at home on my MackBook Pro and then from my phone during the events) and received Tweets of encouragement from friends throughout the day. I captured the event with photos and sent them directly to Flickr as well as other family and friends, again from my phone. Not only was I experiencing something for the first time but, I was capturing my experience in order to share it with others.
This in itself is not a big deal. Documentary film makers have been doing this for years. Now the ability to do this has become more democratized due to advances in technology and market forces. The real kicker for me was that I was doing this in real-time and the communication loop was reciprocal. Not only could my family and friends read my Tweets and see my pictures but the could comment on them. And not just back to me but to each other without me. So my sister in Allentown could text a reply of, "Way to go" to me in State College while also telling my mother in Philadelphia who happens to be looking at a picture of my sweaty sneakers (yes, I did take a picture of that) that she's got 911 on speed dial.
I guess what's so mind blowing to me is that I did all this without a second thought. Not to long ago the idea writing text messages during a run would have seemed idiotic. Now I capture it all via multi-media. My running partner and I have started doing podcasts immediately after we run so we can capture and share our endorphin high. Meanwhile I was keeping up with a friend's progress as he fixed the eaves of his house and another friend who was teaching her son to drive.
It's been said that all politics is local. I believe the same can be said for social computing. More than Web 1.0 where we could post and read content from our computers Web 2.0 technologies enable us to read and write from numerous and portable devices using quirky applications. As a result I've gotten to know the people in my own backyard better. Seriously, because of text messaging, Twitter, and Flickr my co-workers and I share in a greater part of each other's lives than we ever would otherwise. We've totally demolished the axiom of the separation of personal and professional lives. Conversations bleed into each other regardless of time of day or night. Boundaries are no longer set by societal norms or professional mores they are set by us and how and when we choose to interact.
For me this convergence of my multiple selves has had a profound impact on how I see myself and how I choose to interact with the world. Because the lines between terrestrial-Jeff and online-Jeff and professional-Jeff and private citizen-Jeff have become smeared I think a lot more about the "me" I put forth on any plane. The web for me has become as much a public space as the library, the local pub, the grocery store, or the street where I live. And that's a good thing. For while I behave differently in each place, each persona springs from the same place within me. I now think of my web persona(s) in the same way. I've actually updated my Linkedin profile so it's relevant to my professional goals. I cleaned up my Facebook profile raking up useless widgets like fall leaves. I even cleaned up my iTunes (granted that's because I ran out of disc space but I do now pick and choose what music selections I make available to our network so I'm counting it).
So, as the multiple instances that make up the single entity of me become more fluid I'm more cognizant about the side of me I choose to show. I think of the web as another physical space I occupy, like my office or my home. So I want it to look good when you come over (and you can drop by any time). Just don't look in my Personal Storage Space. That's the electronic version of the storage area in the basement. The one behind the door I close whenever I have company.
Take last weekend for example. Saturday morning was my last long run in preparation for the Flying Pig marathon in three weeks. I also planned to run a 5k to benefit autism research that afternoon. The challenge of doing both was appealing because they are entirely different runs (one is about endurance and the other about speed). But what became fascinating to me in retrospect was the fact that I found myself documenting it all as it was happening. I Twittered about it (first at home on my MackBook Pro and then from my phone during the events) and received Tweets of encouragement from friends throughout the day. I captured the event with photos and sent them directly to Flickr as well as other family and friends, again from my phone. Not only was I experiencing something for the first time but, I was capturing my experience in order to share it with others.
This in itself is not a big deal. Documentary film makers have been doing this for years. Now the ability to do this has become more democratized due to advances in technology and market forces. The real kicker for me was that I was doing this in real-time and the communication loop was reciprocal. Not only could my family and friends read my Tweets and see my pictures but the could comment on them. And not just back to me but to each other without me. So my sister in Allentown could text a reply of, "Way to go" to me in State College while also telling my mother in Philadelphia who happens to be looking at a picture of my sweaty sneakers (yes, I did take a picture of that) that she's got 911 on speed dial.
I guess what's so mind blowing to me is that I did all this without a second thought. Not to long ago the idea writing text messages during a run would have seemed idiotic. Now I capture it all via multi-media. My running partner and I have started doing podcasts immediately after we run so we can capture and share our endorphin high. Meanwhile I was keeping up with a friend's progress as he fixed the eaves of his house and another friend who was teaching her son to drive.
It's been said that all politics is local. I believe the same can be said for social computing. More than Web 1.0 where we could post and read content from our computers Web 2.0 technologies enable us to read and write from numerous and portable devices using quirky applications. As a result I've gotten to know the people in my own backyard better. Seriously, because of text messaging, Twitter, and Flickr my co-workers and I share in a greater part of each other's lives than we ever would otherwise. We've totally demolished the axiom of the separation of personal and professional lives. Conversations bleed into each other regardless of time of day or night. Boundaries are no longer set by societal norms or professional mores they are set by us and how and when we choose to interact.
For me this convergence of my multiple selves has had a profound impact on how I see myself and how I choose to interact with the world. Because the lines between terrestrial-Jeff and online-Jeff and professional-Jeff and private citizen-Jeff have become smeared I think a lot more about the "me" I put forth on any plane. The web for me has become as much a public space as the library, the local pub, the grocery store, or the street where I live. And that's a good thing. For while I behave differently in each place, each persona springs from the same place within me. I now think of my web persona(s) in the same way. I've actually updated my Linkedin profile so it's relevant to my professional goals. I cleaned up my Facebook profile raking up useless widgets like fall leaves. I even cleaned up my iTunes (granted that's because I ran out of disc space but I do now pick and choose what music selections I make available to our network so I'm counting it).
So, as the multiple instances that make up the single entity of me become more fluid I'm more cognizant about the side of me I choose to show. I think of the web as another physical space I occupy, like my office or my home. So I want it to look good when you come over (and you can drop by any time). Just don't look in my Personal Storage Space. That's the electronic version of the storage area in the basement. The one behind the door I close whenever I have company.
This is a great post, Jeff. I've found myself feeling exactly the same way, especially when I'm bringing the identities of my avatars into the mix from various virtual worlds. I think (as you do) that it's a good thing, and that perhaps we might have questioned it previously but now.. it's very natural and just part of what we do in our day to day lives.
First, I think it is spooky that you have been in my head listening to the very same thoughts rattling around in there. Or, perhaps it's something in the air. Whatever the case, I have found many of the same questions in my head regarding my multiple persona (not to be confused with my multiple personalities!). Much like the reframing of how I see social networking that resulted from my participation in the TLT Symposium, I have begun questioning private versus public, online versus offline parts of my life. This is a blogpost that has been brewing for several weeks now, and I think the time has come for me to take a stand... in no small part because you have apparently arrived there ahead of me. Thanks for the post; I really value your input.
You three aren't the only ones.
That's all I've got to add. ;)
No, not really: I feel like I've been doing this for awhile because I have multiple accounts in different spaces and I try to always be aware of my audiences and what's appropriate for which space.
I think that most current students have also grown up in this kind of multi-audience environment. Perhaps we're just playing catch-up.