Practicum Activity Log

This activity log would be different than either my blog here, my wiki at pbwiki, my student email at ESU, sites I frequent during my leisure time, and my regular hotmail email in that this activity log would be about the livejournal account I made for my site review.

However, since livejournal allows for some of the same functions as those sites I frequent or even this blog here, some similarities or outright commonalities may be present. What all these sites (including livejournal) have in common with the reading (and not counting my usage of them) is that all of them could be considered both online communities and social networks, as discribed in the CMC textbook.

They could be online communities because all of them are sites where people of different backgrounds can gather to discuss a common ground of some sort (such as a shared interest), thereby forming a connective bond.

As well, all the sites could be considered social networks, because of the fact that since they each form an online community, networks connecting people from all over the world can be formed, thereby establishing social contact and future relationships on down the line.

Of course, the question of anonymity comes up often on sites such as these and although I do list my age (and for some, even my home state), I certainly do not--under any circumstances, considering issues with sites like MySpace--give out very vital information (such as the town where I live, my actual name, my social security number, and other such things) on those above sites that I frequent or on livejournal. Better safe than sorry, I would wager, considering that I value my identity and my safety than I do such trivial things as just being friends with people whom I have never met--and may never meet--beyond online capabilities.

Regarding livejournal specifically, however, it does have some features that all of the other sites do not. While it too can pose as an online community or a social network, it is the only site of its kind specifically designed as a blog tailor-made for one to post their thoughts in a journal-esque format, hence the title of the site...livejournal (i.e. it's live, because you are posting instantenously at a given moment & it's a journal, because the main crux of the site involves you and others showcasing intimate moments between the digital pages of an online diary of sorts). Plus, it can also--unlike the others--act as a sister site to sites that post news as it happens, such as MSN.com, Yahoo.com, and the like, thereby keeping activity on the site itself constantly changing. Another interesting note of worth is that its entry page too comes complete with a spotlight on a specific topic, question, or discussion. This basically allows for members to be constantly on the move to keep the site going and to keep conversation lively and energetic.