As Dr.White discussed the Visitor/Resident Theory I kept thinking about where I fall in the continuum. I definitely don't think I'm a visitor because he described them as "leaving no trace" at all on-line. Dr. White says that visitors just peruse the internet looking to find what they need and then they leave without leaving a single trace. I have googled myself to see what comes up and I realize I HAVE left a trace. Starting off with Amazon and ending with my latest added account, Twitter. I first opened up an Amazon account back in 2006 when I realized I could buy books for as cheap as one cent! And then I had an Amazon Wish List. So as of 2006, I was already leaving a trace on-line. I remember a friend, back then, surprised me by giving me a book that I really wanted, for Christmas. I asked him how he knew that I had wanted that book, and he replied by saying that he googled my name and found out I had a wish list on Amazon.com and that gave him hints as to what would make a great Christmas present for me. I was REALLY surprised because I had created that Wish List with the intentions of only my family having access to it. I didn't realize back then that ANYONE who googled me was going to be able to read by Amazon.com wish list.
With that said, I really don't think I'm a visitor. However, I don't think I'm a full resident either. One of the reasons I wouldn't consider myself a full resident is because many times I get very frustrated with technology. I get frustrated that it takes me two hours to do something that takes someone else a few seconds to accomplish. I know that the more I practice it, the quicker it'll be, but in the meantime many "quick and easy" assignments are not proving to be so "quick and easy" for me because they involve navigating social networks that I'm not used to navigating at all. I can feel my brain restructuring as I'm exposed to all these new ways of completing assignments on-line, but yet, other people, like my parents, perceive me as being fluent in technology, but I'm not. It's a work in progress. I feel that someone who is a full resident wouldn't be struggling to keep up with all the different assignments that they have to complete. It would be second-nature to them.
To conclude, I would say that on the continuum I am more on the "resident" side of the continuum than I am on the "visitor" side because I have been leaving a trace on the internet for about a decade now and due to the fact that I AM able to figure things out. I may struggle with figuring out how to do something new on-line, but I do know enough to be able to apply it to new situations and eventually figure out the new interface. I feel it is time-consuming to navigate through all these new sites and internet places, but I'm learning and making neural connections that will strengthen the more I practice this new way of communicating, collaborating, and learning.
With that said, I really don't think I'm a visitor. However, I don't think I'm a full resident either. One of the reasons I wouldn't consider myself a full resident is because many times I get very frustrated with technology. I get frustrated that it takes me two hours to do something that takes someone else a few seconds to accomplish. I know that the more I practice it, the quicker it'll be, but in the meantime many "quick and easy" assignments are not proving to be so "quick and easy" for me because they involve navigating social networks that I'm not used to navigating at all. I can feel my brain restructuring as I'm exposed to all these new ways of completing assignments on-line, but yet, other people, like my parents, perceive me as being fluent in technology, but I'm not. It's a work in progress. I feel that someone who is a full resident wouldn't be struggling to keep up with all the different assignments that they have to complete. It would be second-nature to them.
To conclude, I would say that on the continuum I am more on the "resident" side of the continuum than I am on the "visitor" side because I have been leaving a trace on the internet for about a decade now and due to the fact that I AM able to figure things out. I may struggle with figuring out how to do something new on-line, but I do know enough to be able to apply it to new situations and eventually figure out the new interface. I feel it is time-consuming to navigate through all these new sites and internet places, but I'm learning and making neural connections that will strengthen the more I practice this new way of communicating, collaborating, and learning.