Dave White presents a theory of "visitors" and "residents" on the web in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFBadv04eY. I find his theory fresh and interesting, because it does so much more than just say, "Old people just don't get it."
Visitors are presented as people who see the web as having a set of "tools" they can use. White makes a terrific analogy to describe visitors' use of digital tools: they go in the tool box, rummage around, take out the tool they need, and put it back after using it. Visitors are not less technically adept, but they are focused on achieving particular goals with the web tool, not "living" online. White gives the example of individuals who learned that Skype would be useful and picked it up right away. Visitors are also more concerned with privacy; they don't see the point in "flaunting themselves online" and see constant posting on social networking sites as a form of egomania.
I completely identify with the visitor persona. I can use technology tools perfectly well, but sometimes I feel uncomfortably exposed. I also tend to use the web tools I think will be useful for certain purposes, rather than using the web for social purposes. In the context of work, I am more comfortable "residing" in digital spaces and maintaining high visibility. That is mostly because I recognize networking as important for career development and continuing education. However, in my personal life, I tend to act more like a visitor, posting on my Facebook and other social networking sites when I feel I have something important to say. (This may change due to Pinterest, which I love.)
Residents are presented by White as people who "live" online. Their presence continues on the web after they have logged off, through their web sites, blogs, tweets, and so on. They see the Web as important social space, and they like to be visible in that space. They promote their persona as a brand, which requires constantly "feeding the machine" (tweeting, blogging, posting, etc.). The downside to this constant need to stay in the public eye is that a lot of what they write may be banal.
Personally, I feel embarrassed about writing banal things and broadcasting them to the public, even if the public is my closest 200 "friends." When I blog or post other writings to the web, I spend a lot of time carefully composing them, and I prefer a format that allows me to write about something in depth--not Twitter's 140 characters. I don't see myself as becoming a daily blogger, because it's too time-consuming for me to do it "right." White says the differences between visitors and residents has more to do with educational ideology than with technical skills or age. I agree completely.
Visitors are presented as people who see the web as having a set of "tools" they can use. White makes a terrific analogy to describe visitors' use of digital tools: they go in the tool box, rummage around, take out the tool they need, and put it back after using it. Visitors are not less technically adept, but they are focused on achieving particular goals with the web tool, not "living" online. White gives the example of individuals who learned that Skype would be useful and picked it up right away. Visitors are also more concerned with privacy; they don't see the point in "flaunting themselves online" and see constant posting on social networking sites as a form of egomania.
I completely identify with the visitor persona. I can use technology tools perfectly well, but sometimes I feel uncomfortably exposed. I also tend to use the web tools I think will be useful for certain purposes, rather than using the web for social purposes. In the context of work, I am more comfortable "residing" in digital spaces and maintaining high visibility. That is mostly because I recognize networking as important for career development and continuing education. However, in my personal life, I tend to act more like a visitor, posting on my Facebook and other social networking sites when I feel I have something important to say. (This may change due to Pinterest, which I love.)
Residents are presented by White as people who "live" online. Their presence continues on the web after they have logged off, through their web sites, blogs, tweets, and so on. They see the Web as important social space, and they like to be visible in that space. They promote their persona as a brand, which requires constantly "feeding the machine" (tweeting, blogging, posting, etc.). The downside to this constant need to stay in the public eye is that a lot of what they write may be banal.
Personally, I feel embarrassed about writing banal things and broadcasting them to the public, even if the public is my closest 200 "friends." When I blog or post other writings to the web, I spend a lot of time carefully composing them, and I prefer a format that allows me to write about something in depth--not Twitter's 140 characters. I don't see myself as becoming a daily blogger, because it's too time-consuming for me to do it "right." White says the differences between visitors and residents has more to do with educational ideology than with technical skills or age. I agree completely.