Week 7 readings, pertaining to the types of information that can be obtained online in the modern day (Something is wrong on the internet, and Yes, Digital Literacy. But Which One?), discussed the consequences of children being able to roam an internet world overtaken by adults who are leaving behind content that has little regard for the effects that it may have on the world. Both articles bring to attention the need for a change in the system in which the internet is governed, and while I agree with both articles, I do think there are actions that individuals can take in the meanwhile, especially as part of this class where we are publishing content online for an audience. In regards to digital literacy, my ‘About’ page and in-text citations are areas I have been watching out for to make sure visitors can properly discern if I am a credible source of information or not.
About page
As I discuss not only opinions but scientific facts on my site, I want to ensure that I am not mistaken as an educator or a professional in the topics I write about. In my ‘About’ page, I make sure to state that I am an IAT student with virtually no background in anything except for maybe design.
At the beginning of the semester, when this blog had virtually no content, I did not yet have an idea of how I wanted to present myself on this page, but in the future, I will change this content so that it’s less specific to PUB101. I want to better position myself as someone with no expert opinion to visitors from outside of this course. Steps to accomplish this may include clarifying what IAT is, what school I’m from, and adding a disclaimer at the end of my ‘about’ blurb.
In-text citations
I am terrified of the idea that I may appear a credible source to the audience, so I try to include as many links as I can in my posts. Although the effectiveness of this is unmeasurable, by pulling in as many outside sources as I can, it gives me ease of mind as the added transparency to where my writing comes from makes me feel more credible, and thus more confident. My habit of linking my sentences came from my awareness that most undergraduate students are not yet experts on their topics, but what they can do is curate content from various real-life experts to create something new. I also do believe that linking my sources will also help me retrace my steps, if I want to fix my articles in the future.
