In the second of our Real Stories articles, we talk to Joanne Dobson who is the Director of Strategic Relationships at Coventry University. Me And My Web Shadow caught up with her to find out how she is tackling the management of her web shadow – and to find out what she has gained from being active in social spaces, both personally and professionally.
Are you able to access social media networks from your work computer?
Yes I am, although it would be frowned upon to spend the whole day playing scrabble on Facebook!
Do you use social media websites in the course of your official work duties?
I am a member on Linkedin, I add contacts regularly and I have used it to contact people, especially when they have moved to a new job. I think that’s one of the real strengths of Linkedin. I have in the past been a member on two professional social media websites: University Business and The Community University Partnership (CUPP) Network, which is a ning network. I’m not active on either of these sites now. The first is very clunky and not really useful. I’ve never quite been active on the CUPP one as I keep having to move my involvement in community engagement further down my list of work priorities
I do follow some work related things on my twitter account – the Technology Strategy Board and an information science special interest group.
Does your employer have any formal rules that cover your activity on social networks?
I know that we have an IT Acceptable Use policy, but, do you know I’ve never checked what it says about social networks!
Do you use social media websites to network professionally?
Yes I use Linkedin. I’m not hugely proactive, but I have asked people to connect me to people they have found useful and I am a lurker in a couple of groups. I have also responded to a couple of questions that are relevant to my areas of expertise. In my opinion you have to put effort in to using these tools in order to get something really constructive out of it. Very similar to a real life networking event in that way! If you just hang around for a brief period of time, don’t speak to anyone then it won’t be a very successful use of your time.
I’ve also used Linkedin to recruit people to an advisory board in the university.
Answering your questions really made me think about how I might be able to use social media more for work. Whether I’ll follow that thinking up with any action remains to be seen 
Do you use social media sites for personal use?
Yes I do. I use Facebook, Twitter, last.fm and have a blog via Blogger. I have had a Myspace account but I got so irritated with the rubbish layout there that I stopped using it.
Do you have any concerns over the possible clash of personal vs professional on the internet?
I have general concerns but I don’t post anything personally on the internet that could cause me difficulty. Of course, I’m aware that sometimes we don’t have control over what other people post – embarrassing photographs on Facebook for example. In some ways this is why I try quite hard to keep my personal and professional presence separate.
Do you always use your real name on social media sites? Or only a nickname? Or a mixture of both?
*grin* Again, this is something that has changed over time. I used to be VERY reluctant to use my real name online. Now I am much more comfortable with it, but still my default will be to restrict the amount of personal identity type of information I am sharing. My Facebook page is in my real name, but my full name doesn’t appear on either my blog or my last.fm page.
Do you try to keep personal / professional separate online?
I am less concerned about this than I used to be, but I do try and keep my personal and professional online locations separate. So my Facebook, blog and last.fm profiles link together but there is nothing about those on my Linkedin profile.
Do you have any personal rules for topics you will discuss in these places and topics you won’t?
I’ve never considered this; I don’t think so.
What’s your favourite thing about using social websites and what’s your least favourite thing?
I always find it so difficult to give just one favourite thing! I’d probably have to say sharing photos between friends. My least favourite thing would probably have to be the complexity of some privacy settings on systems such as Linkedin and Facebook.
If you could give any advice to other people working in the university sector who are wondering about the ways they can use social media for professional and personal benefit – what would it be?
I’ve given advice to old friends just starting to use systems like Facebook – my advice has always been around privacy, for example the difference between writing on someone’s wall and sending a message. Probably the only thing that I would say is that you have to invest time to get the most out of such tools.
Stalk. Stalking. Stalkerish. These are words which have found their way from the news pages into everyday vocabulary.
Me and My Web Shadow: How to Manage Your Reputation Online by Antony Mayfield, to give away to Jobsite candidates.
