Online Communities - Managing your Personal Brand

Do you twit-blog the interscape? Do you or your organization distribute information through the comprehensive and amazing medium of an "online blog website"? Do you have an account on the new social networking tool Bookface? Perhaps you employ these mediums as a means of connecting with friends, or maybe you're a "pyjama job hunter" (someone who looks for work by emailing job applications through monster.ca rather than physically connecting with people), or maybe you've got a blog and/or an ex-boyfriend you follow and/or stalk through Twitter.

Whatever the case. However you do it. The vast majority of people today have some kind of online presence.

Here are some amazing findings relating to our online community's behaviour:

Twitter is arguably the hottest thing in new media. Usage is up 752% since December 2008. Last month, about 7.7 million people used the professional social networking site LinkedIn (being mindful of these tough economic times, if you haven't already, get on there and get connected). If Facebook was a country, it would be the eighth largest in the world. Speaking of Facebook, did you know that 20% of Facebook users do not use any privacy settings? And of the users who do use some or all of their privacy setting, last year nearly one-quarter of them still shared their telephone numbers. Nearly 50% of users concerned with divulging their political views still posted them. And nearly 20% of Facebook users employing their "top" privacy setting.

So, would you like a job one day? Or maybe you fancy yourself as the next Gregor, Gordo, Merkel, or Obama. Maybe your family's opinion of you is the most important thing in the world. Get this. About 25% of graduates from 50 countries say there is something about them online that they do not want their parents or employer to see. And, last year in North America, 83% of employers searched online to learn more about applicants. Of job-applicants who were dismissed in 2008, 43% were turned away because of what recruiters found online.

So that's the game. But how should we play in it?

For students and young people:

- According to the Vancouver Sun's Mitch Joel, "the amazing thing about developing your personal brand in a world of online social networks and blogging is that you can home in and really focus on meeting and connecting with those that have shared values."
- You can be social and professional, people. Trust me, employers, recruiters and friends alike want to make sure you separate work and pleasure. Man, no one wants to check out a Facebook profile that looks like a resume. It's just not fun. Now, you should still strive to build an amazing social and personal brand by using Facebook. Check this out: http://mashable.com/2009/04/02/facebook-personal-brand/.
- I have a lot of students who are smarter than me. One of them sent me this link to Guy Kawasaki's blog, which outlines 11 key ways to use LinkedIn to connect with professionals in your field. In these tough economic times, take full advantage of this advice!
- Long story short. Having fun is important. Being social is important. Being classy is important, too. Maybe leave the funnel out of the picture next time, dude.

For teachers and counsellors and parents:

- Teach and encourage your students/kids about the concept of Link Love. Get them to collaborate in a positive way and to connect their online communities. The more things written about people and groups, the more "searchable" they become. And when the "link love" is positive, once a group or individual is found, say, by Google, their online brand will be well-received by its audience.
- One of the reasons Generation Y is incredibly useless when it comes to comprehending the implications of putting career and socially damaging photos and information online is because they have not been taught proper online community etiquette from their parents and role models. I mean, Shaquille O'Neal is a Twitter MVP, but that doesn't mean he should replace you/us, parents and teachers. We need to get involved, too.
- First step, get your kids/students to explain to you how an online community works!

For employers and recruiters:

- Is Facebook reflective of a new way of doing business? Find another tool that can put a grassroots movement or a cool new product past the tipping point on a global scale in a more collaborative way in a shorter amount of time. There probably isn't one.
- With our global networks expanding at lightspeed, this figure has never seemed so real. Organizations must be sure to utilize internal and external social networks to attract, engage and retain top talent. Spreading your company's brand through the word of mouth of an elaborate global network, after all, is pretty powerful stuff.
- Recent findings show that a cross-section of industry experts believe that the majority of employers suggest several HR professionals see the world of work transitioning from a "machine" to a "community" and from a hierarchical system of management to one that is more reflective of a social network. If the medium is the message, what do employers today need to know about Facebook and Web 2.0? Probably lots.

The Globe and Mail recently profiled the, um, online profiles of Gordon Campbell and Carole James. Like much else in British Columbia's election, neither candidate showcases the stuff of inspiration. When managing one's online presence, it's of course important to be sincere, authentic and to have integrity (in the article, the closest Ms. James or Mr. Campbell got to being authentic was when Mr. Campbell chose a quote from the author of Faust, Wolfgang von Goethe, perhaps all too reflective of devilish deals politicians and their ilk have forever made). With so much noisy information clogging the series of pipes and tubes that make up the internet, those of us twitblogging are way through it must also strive to be unique, interesting and entertaining in addition to being sincere. Whether you're a student, educator, employer, or politician, think about how you`ll be adding value to the experience of those connecting to your online community.

We here are The Gumboot add value by talking about pirates, communal nudity and cutting edge architecture way before fringe media groups like the CBC or up-and-coming politicians like this guy Stephen Harper do. Some people talk about what's already cool. We make it cool.

And that's how you manage an online presence. It's a beautiful thing!

- JCH

The Classroom Community - times be changin'

First thing's first. It's called "A Vision of Students Today." Have fun with it! I'll see you in 4 minutes and 44 seconds. Here's the video.

Did you have fun? Let's move on...

Education (elementary, secondary, post-secondary) is terribly hierarchical. Authoritarian, even. The teacher is the expert. The student is the learner. At universities across Canada, professors orate their ideas and "findings" to hundreds - maybe thousands - of students who cram into an annonymous lecture hall and try to absorb the distant material. These classrooms are pretty one-dimensional and, more importantly, a lot of 'em are grossly out of date.

Clearly, there are exceptions. Because, clearly, the world is changing. More likely, it's changed...exponentially. There's just too much information out there for any one idea to be tackled by anything less than a team - that's why The Gumboot is getting so much critical acclaim; it's the collaboration, baby!

Sorry, teachers, but when it comes to our classrooms, we're not always the experts. Especially when it comes to technology and how we use a medium like the internet to access information. Navigating its system of pipes and tubes, students can use the web to find a litany of supportive, contrasting, useless, and hilarious sources on any given topic. The more we educators pretend to know it all, the more our students will Facebook and Twitter their way into unproductive apathy. So, we need to include them in the lesson.

Here's my modest proposal. Let's change things in the classroom. In collaboration as students and teachers, let's make a transition from hierarchy to community. Many post-secondary educators out there know a lot about a little, which is great and amazing and important for students to learn. And many students know a little about a lot. And the classroom community can be the vehicle for, among other things, these ideas from everywhere to come together under knowledgeable guidance. Who knows, with the right discussion, a classroom might even turn into a venue for positive social change.

Interested in making your classroom a community? Here are some strategies to try out:

Edutainment: the concept of edutainment combines performance with learning; basically, make the classroom a fun place to be. Use YouTube. Play games. Talk about pirates. And, most importantly, when you link learning outcomes to enjoyable activities, the result(s) are those wonderful 'ah-ha!' and epiphany moments that make teaching such a rewarding experience.

Use technology: sorry, Luddites, but at least part of your curriculum needs to be online (I mean, let's put it in context...grade ones probably aren't going to be blogging...I mean, this isn't Ender's Game, right?). Whether we like it or not, Web 2.0 has allowed a whole generation of learners to personalize their consumer experience. Education is a product our students consume, so why wouldn't they expect one of their most expensive purchases (or their parents purchases) to have the option of being tailored to their needs. Whether it's downloadable lecture notes, an online forum for discussion or a wiki, having technology supplement a comprehensive academic experience will provide a personalized touch that so many students want...and, arguably, need.

Be inclusive: ask them questions. And don't stop there. When your next lesson comes up, show your class that you've taken their feedback and used it to make your material and their experience even better. Empowering young people to take on creative leadership roles can be risky, sure. But when students are set up for success by their teacher and then their plan comes together - wow - it's a beautiful thing. The stuff of inspiration, really.

Let them collaborate: no great thing in the history of humanity was every done by just one person. So, from team-based projects to sharing notes (yes, even on Facebook), let students work together to solve problems. Better yet, encourage them to do so.

Make it relevant: From "machine to community" and "hierarchy to network" - according to Goran Carstedt, this is where the real-world of the workplace is heading. The material (ie. the sociology of peasant uprisings in Early Modern France) might not be directly related to life, but the transferable skills sure will. So why not make education as relevant (with content, form and style) as possible? More than ever, employers are accepting that, when it comes to concepts like social media and interdisciplinary, cross-cultural collaboration the boss, not the analyst/intern/consultant/researcher, will be the student. It was two twentysomethings who brainstormed Best Buy's internal wiki, not the CEO or VP of HR. Having a meaningful, inclusive conversation in the classroom as well as a lecture is a great place to start.

Because if we keep up with our expert orations and do not empower students to engage our ideas with theirs, well, we just might, as Sir Ken Robinson says, kill creativity for good. So, whether you teach kids or adults to dance, do math or save the world using business, try something new in your classroom. You might fail. And that's okay.

And, hey, if writing this was a huge mistake, well, that's okay. Because I'm not afraid to make mistakes. Learning from them makes us all better.

- JCH

Learning from Pirate Communities - The Overview

Hi there, Gumboot Enthusiasts. As promised by the tag-line of this publication, some of our conversations will discuss pirates. After all, these figures - real and imagined - are a popularized jumping off point for investigation, adventure and discovery; where fact meets fiction and romance meets reality. Most importantly, there is a lot we can learn from pirate communities, as they tend to mirror our own lives - in a much drunker, violent and more fashionable way.

Moving on...

A little about the credentials that allow me to expertly teach others about pirates, privateers and buccaneers. Not only does the Editor-in-Chief of The Weekly Gumboot (ie. me) hold a Masters in Naval History from the University of the Bahamas and a Ph.D in Piracy from the University of Singapore, but I was also fortunate enough to co-found the School of Arts and Piracy at Camosun College in Victoria, British Columbia. Recently, I created and taught the incredibly popular graduate-level course, Pirates: Romance and Reality at the college.* But, hey, being a registered Piratologist (officially - especially when the Coast Guard and CSIS are asking - I am not a real pirate) isn't all researching and writing of rum, romancing wenches and roughhousing. Sometimes, Piratologists are asked to change the world.

And, with that in mind, it is my pleasure to introduce a new series here at The Weekly Gumboot. The ongoing stories in Learning from Pirate Communities seek to explore the connection and ideas between pirates (of past and present) and our global community.

Over the coming weeks and months, we will explore the following topics:

• Democracy: Barack Hussein Obama might've just taken this tired ideology** to the next level, but did you know that the first example of written democratic principles was completed on a pirate ship?
• Health Insurance/Workers' Compensation: Depending on what body part (eye, hand, leg) you lost during pillaging, the "Articles of Piracy" (agreement signed by the Captain and crew) outlined the appropriate financial compensation for the aforementioned off-lopping of limbs. Fun fact: pirates were compensated the most if they lost their right arm.
• Personal/Corporate Branding: Pirates were conceptualized as more notorious, violent and cruel than they actually were. And this came about because of dynamic, creative and effective "branding." Black Bart's flag depicted him having a glass of wine with Death. That's badass, man. So, how do you sell yourself?
• Racial Equality: A complex and contentious issue, for certain; however, with escaped slaves, Central American Natives and Frenchmen finding common ground aboard a pirate ship, well, a certain amount of cultural leveling and acceptance took place.
• Women's Rights: Ann Bonny and Mary Read were two of the most notorious pirates in the Caribbean. More important, though, is the legacy of Madam Cheng - she was arguably the greatest pirate in history, at one point commanding a fleet of over 10,000 vessels. Needless to say, they were quite the pioneers for gender equality!
  
• Storytelling: if there was only one recorded incident of a pirate making someone walk the plank, why is this phenomenon so effectively associated with these scurvy buccaneers? It's all about being able to spin a good yarn, mateys!
• Networking: in the world of pillage and plunder (and eventually becoming the Governor of Jamaica, like Captain Henry Morgan did), it's all about who you know...
• Entrepreneurship: Somalia is probably the worst place on Earth. And yet a community of former fishermen (foreign over-fishing and pollution have depleted stocks beyond repair) have found a niche market for risky a career endeavour: hijacking oil tankers! This creative, outside-the-box thinking is getting them noticed, too!!!
• Creativity and the Access of Information: When they looked/look at the global economy, pirates see it in shades of grey. Whether it's creatively carrying out a client's business plan at the barrel of a gun and the tip of a cutlass or downloading songs, shows and movies, pirates have always used (are currently using) technology to challenge the status quo.

So there it is. A preview of what's to come on The Weekly Gumboot. As you await the next installment of Learning from Pirate Communities, prepare yourselves to be edutained!

Yaaarrrrrrrggghhh!

- Sir John the pirate Piratologist

*Factual Disclaimer: educational allusions may or may not be "real" and "accredited" credentials and it may or may not be more about a supercool video created by the marketing team at Camosun College...
**Johnnism, an up-and-coming ideology promises to inspire an ever-shrinking global community with fresh perspectives on what it means to be named "John"...and much, much more...