In this challenge you are required to build or update your professional online biography and the “About” page of your academic /course website. Read the terms of reference of the respective web service(s) you use or are planning to use. If you already have an existing site(s) for these purposes, you do not need to create new accounts. Focus on updating and improving your web presence. While it is advantageous to register your own domain name and use a paid service for your website, this is not a requirement for this course. You can use one of the many “free” online services for your LiDA102 course activities.

Tasks

1. Reflect on the following online personas, target audience and how this will impact on the style and voice of the communication medium.
   

   Persona	Primary audience
   Personal	Friends and family
   Professional	Employers and professional network
   Academic	Peer learning network

2. Choose the most appropriate medium for each of your online personas, for example:
   

   Persona	Medium example
   Personal	Facebook
   Professional	Linkedin
   Academic	Course blog or website

3. Identify one or two professionals from your field of interest who maintain an active web presence and contribute regularly via social media. Explore their respective websites and professional listings as examples.
   • Twitter is a good place to search for individuals using popular hashtags from your field or area of study, for example “#highereducation”
   • Click through to their respective twitter user page. If they have a personal website listed on the user page, visit the site and review their “About” page.
   • Visit their employer’s page and try to locate their biography on the employer’s website.
   • Search for the user on Linkedin
   • Compare the user information on these different sites. Observe how they link to social media accounts, and vary the style and content presented for the different personas.
4. Create or update your professional profile on Linkedin. (Consult the help page for support.)
5. Create or update your “About” page on your course blog. You may prefer using a more informal style for this page aligned with your own personality and interests. Include links to your professional profile and respective links to social media that you use.
6. Visit the profile pages of your active social media accounts. Update if necessary providing links back to your main page (for example, the “About” page on your course site).
7. Think carefully about information you post publicly and keep a clear distinction between your personal online presence and your professional online persona. Review your privacy settings on your personal account(s).