In “Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement“, Dave and Alison argue that technology, especially for social media, offers people digital identities; digital identities, such as a visitor and a resident of the Web, allow them to achieve their goal in communication, work, and study areas. Besides, I would like to investigate the difference between two identities and the privacy issues for digital users.
In terms of difference between two identities, I am interested in how the residents could help people in their life. Dave and Alison mention that being a resident helps people to construct social relationship with others, such as their families, friends, classmates, or even strangers with common interests. For example, people could share ideas in time by posting a blog, and they could also ask questions and make friends when using Facebook and Instagram. However, for those people who choose to be visitors of a Web, they simply seem social media as a tool to help their learning by searching relevant information without logging in it.
Furthermore, the difference between two identities also relates to people’s privacy issues. It is easier for digital residents to expose personal information, such as searching history, hobbies, and even home locations, rather than a visitor. Meanwhile, Dave and Alison argue that visitors could hide their personal information to others when they are looking at the Web. Samantha Ellis in her Wow and Wonder blog discusses that even though it is fun to contact with others as a resident, she still prefers to be a visitor because she would like to limit her private information online. I really agree with her idea to be a visitor, when we just use social media as a tool to study and know the world.
However, sometimes, it is inevitable for people to be a resident. Specifically, when people use Email to contact teachers and bosses, they are required to be a resident; when people adopt CIBC Online Banking to pay for daily fees, and even online shopping, they are residents of those social media. Jiahui Chen in her Wow and Wonder blog points out the existence of hackers. If hackers gets people’s private information, there is a serious problem. I hold with Jiahui Chen‘s thoughts. For those people who are using social media to make a payment, it is possible for hackers to steal card password and even deposits.
In a nutshell, there are difference between being a visitor and being a resident. Even though being a visitor is helpful to hide people’s private information, it is still unavoidable to be a resident when people are studying and working. Furthermore, the information exposure could lead people get into trouble.
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