It’s always fantastic to get people’s reactions to the content I’m posting to this blog. In particular it provides me with valuable perspectives regarding my experiences and opinions that I frequently haven’t considered. In my view this is one of the key reasons for doing it, and one of the core values of blogs and online publishing in general.
In engaging in what is at first a very personal, reflective experience, we also sew the seeds for interaction with others, and provide them with extraordinary insight into areas they wouldn’t necessarily have seen in different circumstances. Blogs are both personal and social, reflective and discursive, give and receive – and as such you can never be truly sure what to expect in the wake of a post.
Feedback and Alternative Perspectives
The self-assessment I posted yesterday is a great example of this. So far I’ve received some very valuable, constructive feedback on both the event (from Belinda, for example, who was in the UNFED meeting at the time), as well as the topic of presenting more generally. I’ve yet to respond to the comments at this stage, but rest assured each one has helped tremendously and I’m grateful for the feedback.
Perhaps the most thought provoking comment I’ve received though comes from a post written by Jenny Mackness. Over all Jenny’s post provides a reflection on some of her experiences with presenting, and how online facilitation has affected or altered her presenting style over time. But it is the first paragraph that’s really given me pause and made me think:
“I always unpick my ‘performance’ in detail after a presentation or a course, either online or offline – but I tend not to do it in public as Mike has done. Through a long career which has involved being interviewed, seeking promotion etc., I am still very cautious about who I reveal my weaknesses to. I think they are probably evident enough without having to point them out to people and I’m not as brave as Mike!”
Consider the ramifications
Frankly I hadn’t considered the ramifications of sharing my self-assessment from the standpoint of employers. In thinking about it after reading Jenny’s post though, I can confidently state that I wouldn’t have changed a thing – but she does raise some important points that I think need to be borne in mind whenever publishing online.
Personally, my mantra has become, and always will be, “what would my mother-in-law think if she read this.” As a general rule and out of principle I’m always conscious to be considerate and respectful rather than offensive or abusive – but really, I want my opinions and experience influencing what I publish, not my career aspirations. So in my view if something I say is used as cause for firing or non-hiring, than the organisation probably wasn’t right for me in the first place.
Certainly there are moral obligations to consider, such as not revealing confidential information that isn’t mine to share, or discussing internal matters that might explode into inter-departmental political messes, or damage relationships with colleagues – but really, I see a similar moral obligation existing in what I say about my family and friends online as well.
I believe that being honest and forthright in my experiences and opinions is a positive thing and can lead to some very healthy discussion that contributes to the learning experiences of all parties involved – even if this means sometimes airing “dirty laundry” about my inadequacies. Ultimately my primary focal point for the work that I do is contributing to the educational technology landscape and empowering others to learn and feel confident enough to experiment and explore.
Digital Literacies
That said, for people new to online publishing it is extremely important to bear Jenny’s thoughts in mind. It is not always wise to stick your neck out as far as I occasionally do, and there are examples of circumstances where a blog post or Twitter update has lost someone a job. Not everyone will agree with what we say online; what we each need to decide before clicking “Publish” is what our own views and priorities are on the matter, because once you click the button there’s no going back.
