Thing 3: Defining Yourself Online

Yellowstone National Park June 2010

After reading this week's exercise, I went ahead and posted a profile photo to Facebook. (A different one, the one I use on Blogger, apparently was too small for FB.) I also like the idea of a "visual" identity that carries over from one online or professional context to another. I chose this post's photo, from Yellowstone National Park, for its visual panache.

I'm not sure it's possible or desirable to have two identities online, one personal and one professional. If your posts are findable, they ought to be professional. On the other hand, I have heard of people who try to separate out particular media -- for instance, using Linked In for professional contacts and Facebook for personal ones -- and when getting invites explain to the invitee that they use Facebook, say, for personal contacts but they would be happy to have professional acquaintances join their Linked In circle of contacts. But, then, they lose out on a lot of Facebook information from those professional contacts, and isn't your social network at your job part of the fun of working in the first place?

A few years ago I tried keeping two Facebook accounts, one personal and one professional. Bad idea. Even I got confused, when accepting an invitation, who was going to which site. So now I have two sites: one I look at, and one I don't.

Thing 2: Signing Up, Looking Around

OK, so I had to catch up by one day. I signed up using the registration form, but there was no confirmation I was registered, and my name didn't show up on the either the participants list or the Delicious list. Instructions say to give it a day or two, and if it doesn't show, to check back.

Brooklyn Bridge

I did wander onto a fellow participant's list, from the UK, and left a comment. I came back to this side of the pond for the picture, left.

Thing 1: Starting On 23 Things

Gravestone, Paris, France

I stumbled upon the start of a new 23 Things for Professional Development course, on Day 1, and thought I'd like to hitch a ride. So here goes. I know Twitter, Facebook and a number of other social media, and am trying to teach myself Drupal 7, but till I really get that site off the ground, I figure I'd learn a few other new tools. And for the image at right?  I need all the prayers I can get.