Keeping Kids Safe Online

Just when I thought I couldn’t think of anything else to write about, inspiration struck via the radio on my way to work Thursday morning. The two DJs were talking about Miss America 2007, Lauren Nelson, a twenty-year-old Lawton, Oklahoma, native, who attends the University of Central Oklahoma . They were recounting a story of how Ms. Nelson’s own chatting at a young age with a group of friends resulted in inappropriate contact with a predator.

Thankfully, her case ended well when she notified her parents, who then notified the proper authorities. Since then, it has become her mission to help keep kids safe online. To further her cause, Ms. Nelson has been working with Symantec Corp., a security software company, to help educate parents and children about dangers on the Internet.

I think it’s absolutely great when people use their celebrity status to further worthy causes. While I don’t yet have children of my own, I need 2 hands to count my godchildren. Many of them are now getting old enough to be online, and I want to know that they’re safe when exploring the wonderful world of cyberspace.

For more info, visit:

http://www.missamericakids.com/?gclid=CPri1_Cq9Y4CFSCTWAodBAf2Eg

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,268229,00.html

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2007-06-18-3351018560_x.htm

The Value of Digital Communications

At one time or another, I think we’ve all experienced a trying time and have felt or had someone tell us that “so and so can’t understand because he/she hasn’t been through it. It happens all the time, with everything from medical issues, to surviving a natural disaster, or being the victim of an unfaithful spouse.

Encouraged by the infinite possibilities of finding others in similar situations, users flock online to research their own personal situations. Unlike anywhere else, online communities such as discussion boards and blogs offer a comforting place—a safe haven—for users. Whether to vent frustrations or to locate resources, users can find others people who understand what they’re going through.

I would imagine that the most appealing aspect of online communities is the possibility of anonymity. If a person were to attend a support group, then the issue of anonymity arises. Sure, you may not have to give your name, but people still know your face. Online, you can be as visible or as invisible as you want to be while still reaping the rewards of the resources.

I think for those who maybe would have kept their problems to themselves, online communities provide a great opportunity for them to seek help. As technology progresses, it will definitely be interesting to see what new tools are available in the years to come.

Digital Communication as a Learning Tool

When I was a senior in high school, I never would have imagined working toward a degree online. At that time the Internet was so new to me that I had to force myself to sit at a computer and learn how to navigate the myriad resources available at the click of a button. I had no choice if I was going to make it through college—and actually get something out of it.

Now, here I am a decade later, once again forcing myself to explore the technological advances that have become available since then. I have to admit, for someone like me who works at a computer all day long, this first semester of classes is challenging. The last thing I want to do in the evening is look at my laptop, let alone read post after post in discussion boards and formulate intelligent responses. But I do it because I thrive in a library setting and am now willing to do whatever it takes to get back there.

But at the end of the day when my eyes are tired and my brain zapped, when there’s laundry to be done, dinner to cook, dishes to do, etc., how much am I really learning? I often find myself skimming through my materials so I can move on to the next task on my to-do list. Then I shut off my computer and think “what in the heck did I just learn?”

Could I be learning more if I just quit working and relied on loans to make ends meet, or if I moved to a state where I could attend classes in person instead of online? How does it work for everyone else?

Since I really have nothing personal up, here's a picture of my dog from last Christmas. I'm thinking maybe she should be an Oompa Loompa for Halloween ...

Digi-Comm Challenges

Have you ever had one of those conversations, maybe with a member of the opposite sex, where you both feel like the words that are coming out of your mouth more than adequately express you point … or so you think?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a face-to-face conversation with my husband that resulted in both of us not knowing what in the heck the other person was talking about. Part of that involves me thinking that I had told him a relevant piece of information that would have made things more clear, or the fact that he sometimes remains deadpan when I might be expecting a hint of a smile or laughter to betray his joke. Maybe that’s the difference between men and women.

But what happens you take away the interpersonal connection—the facial expressions, physical postures and gestures, etc.? Does the art of digital communication take more skill than other forms of expression?

Conveying emotion in digital form has gotten easier with the use of emoticons, or maybe harder, if you’ve experienced “flaming” (sudden flare ups of anger and insult), but it’s still far from perfect. One positive aspect of digital communication is that users often find it easier to express themselves online, perhaps from the comfort of being in a private setting where they’re somewhat hidden from the world.

What are your ideas or tips on how to avoid miscommunication in the digital world?

I wasn’t really prepared to post a blog entry today, but finally decided to write one at 10:49 p.m. last night when I couldn’t get my mind to slow down. As I was sitting at my kitchen table working on my laptop to create Web pages for another class earlier in the evening, I had a breakthrough. I FINALLY figured out how to get a single line of text to be a certain color (no snickering by those of you who are far past my skill level).

Just as I was getting the first successful HTML tags saved, my husband came into the kitchen. Totally unaware of what was about to come out of his mouth, I looked at him expectantly, practically bursting to tell him my news. And then he said it: “Mary’s Mom died.” You see, we recently found out that the mother-in-law of one of his best high-school friends had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. The prognosis was not good, but never did we expect to get the news so quickly.

In that moment, it really hit home that no matter how far digital communication technology advances, nothing will be able to replace the power of the human touch. No digital message, no matter how accepted by society, can ever truly convey the emotional support behind a hug or the comfort provided by a friend’s presence—even if no words are exchanged—when you need them the most.

As I got ready to shut-down my computer, making web pages or posting to a blog seemed pretty insignificant when I considered our friends’ pain and thought of their toddler growing up without one of his grandmothers. But I prayed that the steady drum of the rain would wash away some of their pain and bring renewed hope for tomorrow.

Welcome! More postings to come at the end of September