• What does it mean to network using social media?

Networking using social media like Youtube, Twitter, Zoom, Slack, Facebook, Instagram, and similar online platforms. Network establishing, maintaining, and activating the connection between people. The covid-19 pandemic situation has transformed the way we study things. Even people are isolated by the 14-days policy. They can still use network connect with the world outside or larger scale they have reached before. To better improve ourselves, we need to develop network skills and digital literacies. To become an adaptable learner, we have to realize the ability to find and communicate with relevant others.

• How are we motivated to participate in networked publics?

People are motivated to participate in the networked public. They play different roles between reality and the virtual world. In the virtual world, people could maximize what they are skilled in. They have less concern about nervous which some people may occur when they are presenting in front of a large group of people. Furthermore, we are not restricted by the information we learned from school, we are possible to observe the knowledge and skills from the internet. We can watch the lecture from MIT or Stanford University. The professional network is considered as both internationally or unintentionally long-term activity (Compton, 2009; tempest and Starkey, 2004). According to the study, PLN involves the ability of people to cooperate and comprehend others’ work. This network is central and builds by professional activity. It connects heterogeneous people to a small group and allows them to exchange energy and power.

• What are the risks & rewards of public communications?

From an individual’s field, a structured network promotes people to come up with creative ideas and handle the changing assignment. People get tacit knowledge from the experience and reflection of interacting with others. Most importantly, personal networks enhance the resources and benefits in the different stages of learners’ careers. However, public communications also have vulnerabilities. Social media will collect our data potentially and they have algorithms to analyze what we like or dislike. We have no privacy face to the internet magnates. To ignore defraud, we should be aware of the data we allow applications to collect, like face and fingerprint. Nowadays, governments have emphasized the importance of protecting ourselves’ privacy. I hope the policy could protect the public’s right and against the organization who abuse the technology.

References:

1.FutureLearn. (2020, August 13). What is a Personal Learning Network (PLN)? https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/learning-network-age/0/steps/24644

2.View of Understanding personal learning networks: Their structure, content and the networking skills needed to optimally use them | First Monday. (2012, January). Firstmonday. https://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/3559/3131