and I've been invited to give a presentation or the Intermountain Chapter of the Society for Technical Communication all about online portfolios, how they contribute to one's online "presence," and how having one can add so much to your professional life. this is quite an interesting development, seeing as how my own online portfolio is crumbly and cobwebbed, not having been updated for practically two and a half years now. I'm working on it. (in other words, it's scribbled down on that list of Things To Do. which instead of looking anything like an actual list, moreso resembles a deck of cards--or perhaps two decks?--strewn all over the carpet. I'm quite sure some of them have gotten irretrievably lost under the sofa.)
anyway, in preparation for this event, which will take place the morning November 14th, up at Weber State (here. in that very room is where I will be, hoping that whatever I have to say will make a small difference, and hoping I can talk loud enough for everyone to hear me), I'm going to ask my fairly small readership what they think. a small survey, if you will. and even if you don't think I'm talking to you, I would be happy to have at least some kind of response from everyone who reads this.- what counts as part of one's online presence and what doesn't?
- what examples have you seen of individuals or groups who have a strong online presence?
- what elements of those people's or groups' portfolios or websites make the most difference in how we see, appreciate, or interact with them?
- what would you say about your own online presence?
- how does your own facebook/blog/twitter/website/portfolio make a difference for you, your business, or whatever it is you do?
- what are you able to accomplish as a result of investing in these various electronic platforms?
- is it worth it? are there any drawbacks?
a few people I've come across who have absolutely gorgeous online portfolios: Meagan Fisher, Kevin Cornell, and Cameron Moll. of course, the concept of a strong online presence is up for interpretation here. there are so many solidly separate spheres of existence in this giant internet place. so people I think are completely famous may be people you've never heard of. naturally, my list of people with gorgeous portfolios leans heavily toward the design side of technical communication. I'll have to start looking for some outstanding examples from the plainer, black-and-white side of the spectrum.
thanks in advance for all your thoughtful answers. feel free to leave a response in the comments here, or email me. facebook me. whatever you like, eh?
3 comments:
- what counts as part of one's online presence and what doesn't?
Everything counts. If you're talking about making yourself known, it can be a blog, regularly posting on a message board, infiltrating the social networks, sticking stuff on a personal website.
But you're going to achieve different kinds of 'presence' in different media. With a portfolio or a subject-specific blog, for example, you're characterising yourself through your interests and setting up camp in a very specific, somewhat formal sphere, whereas a personal journal about your everyday life isn't going to attract the same audience. Similarly, any welcome member of a message board is going to have to persuade other members that they're an interesting, friendly human being who's willing to interact. A message board is not really the place to promote your professional wares.
I guess if you're after a 'presence' in the sense of making yourself known to the universe, you'd want to integrate all these different types. All the biggest online presences seem to have a mix of the above to get the best of all spheres, and that's probably why all the big, faceless corporations are now on Twitter. For, at the very least, the illusion of personality and personableness.
- what examples have you seen of individuals or groups who have a strong online presence?
I've been a part of and come across some very tight-knit communities whose online presence is strong in the sense that they comprise of people who are interacting with each other daily. An online alias can become a very familiar name within that small circle, or even to persistent lurkers.
Obviously, though, that's not the same as being netfamous like, say, Cory Doctorow, or the owners of the more popular YouTube channels, who essentially make it their business to be tapped into the pulse of a wider interest group, even if it might be their hobby too. Again, most of the big shots seem to get that balance between personal and professional, even if that just means giving a YouTube channel of funny videos made with friends an attractive banner to appear alongside every video.
- what elements of those people's or groups' portfolios or websites make the most difference in how we see, appreciate, or interact with them?
Professionally, if somebody wants me to visit a site online, it has to look professional. If I stumble across something that looks like a Geocities page, I'm probably going to prejudge the content. It's amazing how a neat design can give something the air of authority. But don't make it soulless. Give it some personality. (Or do what I did and get someone else to do that for you.)
As far as interaction goes, don't be a self-absorbed arsehole. If you don't really mean to become part of a community, people will sniff you out pretty quickly, denounce you as a fake and set fire to you.
- what would you say about your own online presence?
Obscure. I revel in the idea of having a website that serves as a professional and interesting 'channel' of stuff, but that stuff, being mostly serial fiction with a blog attached, generally tends to tip the scale towards the 'uninterestingly personal' to people who don't know me or have never read my stuff before (and quite a few people who have). The internet is potentially a great medium for getting stuff out there for the world to see, but you're always going to have a very hard time getting people to look at stuff that is neither general interest nor easy-to-look-at-pictures.
But I's just keepin' it real.
[to be continued...]
- how does your own facebook/blog/twitter/website/portfolio make a difference for you, your business, or whatever it is you do?
Recently Twitter has been the most active part of my online presence, and I've got a small but good mix of people with whom I interact and can share my interests. But as much as I might plug my actual website, next to nobody looks at the thing for more than a second. It's not easy or immediate or, I should probably admit, interesting enough for them to be interested. It has a single reader who is pretty much obligated to read it as a friend (and thanks for that, yo). But mostly I seem to spend my time promoting other people (who I genuinely find interesting) and hoping that just maybe they'll return the favour someday, after I've convinced them that I am a very interesting person too.
- what are you able to accomplish as a result of investing in these various electronic platforms?
I think I might have just answered that. See above.
- is it worth it? are there any drawbacks?
Nothing to lose, really. That's partly why I do it. But as far as being world-famous goes, you're not guaranteed a thing.
(But I will keep trying.)
wonderful. thanks, chris. I better start working on this presentation now... two weeks and counting...
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