Week 12 - Web 101

This week we were asked to discuss the future of the Internet and what we would imagine the Internet would be like in five years time.

In five years time, I would imagine search engines and the like will become that much faster, and perhaps we would be able to get the right answers instead of a multitude of wrong answers. Machines would fire up instantly ready to work (or play). I would hope that the windows platform would for once, be stable and perfect on the first release.

Scientifically, I think there will be more of a difference in five years. Already major changes have come about by using computers and highly sophisticated software. I was at the dentist just this week, and they used a machine to build a porcelain filling! The dentist put a gadget against my tooth and pressed a few buttons and actually built the filling in 3d!! Then she left to go to another room to get it and bring it back! I knew things were getting better, but I never believed a filling could be so much fun!! So on that note, I can see the likes of dentures being designed on a computer, getting rid of the ill fitting, ugly, just plain wrong dentures that people are being forced to wear today.

Personally after studying this unit, I think in five years time, Google will not have much more to say about me than it does today. I will be more careful as to not disclose anything I do not want to be reminded of in the future. I was already painfully aware of digital footprints and the like, but knowing just how well the Internet remembers every little thing you do in some way, I will not be taking chances.
Of course if I become fabulously famous then I will rethink that ;P

Week 10 - Web 101

This week, we were asked to go 'ego surfing' using Google, Blindsearch and Spezify.

- How did you go? Were you comfortable with the results, did you find information or images that surprised you?

- How were the search engines different? How might the presentation of information alter its impact or meaning?

- Would you be comfortable with an employer or employee searching for you? What about your family members?

Finally - are you happy that you have created a 'hub' to control your online profile and hopefully for shadow - if not, do you intend to create one?

Share your thoughts and experiences your digital shadow under this thread. As always, these questions a starting point of your conversation and you are welcome to add other threads relevant to the topic.

As usual running behind, I had tried to cover as much as I could in a short space of time. Google, I knew of, and my domain name does come up quite easily which is good seeing as I have had my website for almost 6 years I think. Strangely I have never heard of Blindsearch or Spezify. Searching for my real name was an eye opener. Most of what I have read on the discussion board seemed to be how surprised they were to find just how much information was freely available about themselves, well I had to go to page two, to find anything, and so far just about my tiny bit of art on cornucopia. Skip to the next page, and there is my twitter profile..and that was it. My facebook page does not show up, well not for me so perhaps I have set the profile page to not be found.. who knows. I did not realise just how many of me there were in the world, especially in the US. I wonder just how many of us, really have this name, and not just adopting 'Billie' because they did not like their real first name? Adjusting the results to just Australia did bring the real me up (I was starting to worry I had gotten lost). My fundraising profile for Little Heroes came up first followed by some strangers and then some links to my craft entries on others blogs.

In Blindsearch I did not come up at all, and Spezify was just annoying and useless.. maybe it was just me, but I doubt I would ever try Spezify again. 

I cannot say I was uncomfortable, as I did not find anything that affected me in any way, I was surprised at how little there was out there but I am sure if I dug a few pages further, I might find something. My guess is, using nicknames is the reason behind my anonymity. 

As for the difference between search engines, well good old Google was set out in a way I knew and have used for years. The other two were totally new to me. Blindsearch appeared at first to be a place holder for an expired or yet to be built domain. Spezify, I just do not know what to say, it was confusing, busy, and pretty much useless. How does my name have any thing to do with Doctor Who (David Tennant)?

I am not shy on the web, nor am I right out there. I like where I am, neither naughty nor nice. My shadow is perhaps still catching up with me.