Social Media and Emerging Technologies - The Blog (Director's Cut)

Our public personas we can curate ourselves to the best of our ability, but our private ones we cannot. They are where the rubber meets the road in terms of our digital persona because they bleed into real life. What I'm interested in is this: The goalposts of what is considered private information have been moved to a degree in which data that we used to consider private (our location, our status of being logged in to certain sites, our web history, even recordings of our speech on certain devices) is now being used to actively inform the content we receive via algorithms. Does this create a feedback loop in which the content we are supplied based on our own private preferences begins to influence ourselves in real life?  That's a bit confusing, but after reading Robin Linus' webkay blog  on just how much information is gleaned from simply opening our browser, it got me thinking about how this type of feedback loop becomes created. One that surprised me is how Google can s...

  When it comes to Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), personality plays a big role in how we engage, share, and learn from others. To dig deeper into how my personality influences my PLN interactions, I took three different personality tests: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Five-Factor Personality Test, and the 16 Personalities test. My MBTI type came out as ENFP (Extraverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving), which was confirmed by my 16 Personalities test as an ENFP - Campaigner. The Five-Factor Personality Test highlighted my strong scores in both extraversion and neuroticism. So, what does all this mean for the way I show up in my PLN spaces? As an ENFP, I bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm into my PLN interactions. I thrive on new ideas, engaging conversations, and connecting with people. This means I’m always excited to discuss new concepts, collaborate, and share resources. I tend to be the kind of person who jumps into discussions with curiosity and a desire to...

              Instagram^                                Linkedin^                                      Facebook^                                   Hello all, my name is Isaac Herman and this is my 2nd semester in the MLIS degree program at Dominican University. I hail originally from Evanston, IL and am currently living in the West Loop area of Chicago. I went to my undergrad at the University of Iowa. I love Chicago, it's home and I've been living here for 8 years now (apart from a brief stint in Traverse City, Michigan for work).  For all intents and purposes I'm a pretty average guy, and talking about myself makes me uncomfortable unless I've been drinking. I worked in content ma...