Working off of what Lulu suggested, I want to know whether I even *need* to manage multiple identities. How many employers actually utilize SNS’s when making hiring decisions?

Also, what is the audience perception of those who have made their profiles private (if such research exists, or if you have your own inklings)? Is it assumed that these people are merely protecting their privacy, or is it assumed that these people have something to hide? As a graduate entering the workforce, should I make my profile private, or should I open it up to everybody?

I, too, am a student in the Davies Forum at USF, and I am anxiously awaiting your presentation. Social media, besides being something that I regularly use in my life, is a pretty cool thing to study. What strikes me most is the idea of identity and content creation, not just management. Or, more specifically, how social media can not only aid one in relational processes, but also how social media can enhance (or detract?) from these processes. I’m sure you’ve heard the sound bytes about the novelty of “friends” in social media. “Hey look, I’m John Mayer’s friend, and all I had to do is click a button.” Social media have definitely put a spotlight on quantity as well as quality. But, what I’m most interested in, is how social media aid and enable expression and creation; in other words, might it be possible that social media have allowed us to have a type of relationship, a creative relationship, which would be much more difficult to sustain in the pen and paper world?

In any case, looking forward to your arrival and Thursday evening. I’ll bring chips!

we’re excited to host you on thursday!

in addition to all the material you plan to cover, and in addition to the excellent suggestion by lulu, i’d be interested in you talking about – either in your presentation or during Q and A – how you balance and juggle studying digital media and making digital media. in other words, how do you study social networking sites like facebook while also building apps like claimID? and, does doing one help your understanding of the other?

most graduate students i know (and nearly all professors i know) focus most of their attention on what we might call “traditional” academic scholarship – researching, writing papers, presenting papers at conferences, and publishing papers in journals and books. but, increasingly, i’ve noticed that there is a new generation that seem to be equally comfortable with building stuff as they are with analyzing stuff. so, long story short: how do you balance the two and do you suggest such a juggling act to young students who may be contemplating graduate school in the near future?

again, we’re all excited to welcome you to USF and to SF. safe travels.

My name is Lulu McAllister and I am one of the Davies students you have so kindly honored in your last post.

I thought I would mention, since it might be helpful for your presentation, that I am specifically interested in hearing your thoughts on how individuals can navigate multiple identities. For instance, would it be detrimental to my business identity if I include inside jokes with friends from college on a profile that is accessible to both my work and private spheres? One of our readings for this week included an example of an individual who left pictures of himself partying in a profile visible to his coworkers and boss under that assumption that his boss would understand that these images reflected his private life and therefore had no effect on his professional self.

I’m curious to hear more from you about what your research has said regarding how members of online communities choose to censor themselves.

Looking forward to meeting you.

-Lulu