Anthony Marciano
CMM 240 A – Spring ‘22
January 25, 2022
QCQ for DS106: Enabling Open, Public, Participatory Learning
“ Students knew from the beginning that they were expected to create and control their own domain and set up their own WordPress blog: ‘I wanted students to interrogate the web and how we communicate on it,’ says Groom. ‘I wanted them to control their own domain, install their own applications – in this case, WordPress – and take control of their digital identity.”
Comment (250-500 words)
I could talk about the importance of students developing their digital identities for hours, and I am so happy to see it being highlighted in this article because its message falls so similar to that of the digital identity. As someone who takes creating very important because building a portfolio is a part of my professional life and identity, I think creating a digital identity is incumbent on organized student life on campus. Even if you don’t create online often, organizing and grouping classwork or projects can be very helpful. Today, this is especially easy with the integration of encrypted and safe websites such as WordPress. Many students have Instagram, Facebook, and other social media; however, these platforms are owned by a company and could be shut down at any moment. The unique data we store on these platforms is important, and by using a secure location we can take advantage of the efficiency that is the internet, and the connectivity that it represents. Learning these skills early on in one’s college career also offers a great opportunity to develop useful skills that can be used later in life, and serve to be compatible in many workplaces. Broad knowledge of the internet and a place to store your own information to create a digital identity is super important in my opinion, especially in today’s technological world. As technology advances, it would be foolish for students to not capitalize on things like the internet provider when it comes to useful information storage and communication. Many move on and forget classes after completing them, whether because they were simply required or just boring. But using a digital identity students can look back at what they’ve learned if they find that the information is needed later on. The internet offers tools – whether you take advantage of them or not – and they are there at your fingertips.
Question
How would the world be better or worse if the conglomerate social media platforms never existed, and secure programs were utilized from the beginning?
