Phil Shapiro is a thinker, visionary and writer in the Washington D.C. area. He
takes a keen interest in the social and psychological dimensions of online communications.
This is the 20th column in the ongoing, "Thinking About Online Communications"
series. It comes to us through the generosity of The Washington Apple Pi Journal,
the bimonthly publication of the Washington Apple Pi user group . http://www.wap.org
Why Do People Set Up Personal Web Pages?
The idea of a personal web page is intriguing in many ways. At first blush, the idea
seems wholly self-indulgent. "Why would anyone want to tell the world about
themselves?" is a common first reaction. I, too, thought personal web pages
self-indulgent - - - until I started visiting some on the web. What I found was real
people daring to explore a new form of expression, unashamedly telling the world
who they are and what they care about. In truth, personal web pages are a whole new
form of self-expression. Even people who have personal web pages might not comprehend
their full meaning. This article explores some of the ramifications of personal web
pages - - - and the reasons why a person might choose to have one.
One reason someone might set up a personal web page is that they feel their resume
doesn't accurately reflect who they are. A personal web page can be infinitely richer
and more detailed than a resume. And it can include recorded music, book reviews,
scanned color artwork, recorded poetry, whimsical humor, children's stories and a
whole bevy of other indications of who you are. If resumes are one-dimensional, black
and white representations of human beings, then personal web pages can be multidimensional,
multicolored representations. If you have ever looked at your own resume immediatly
reacted with the word "harumph," you're well on your way to setting up
your own personal web page.
Another reason someone might choose to set up a personal web page is that they get
tired of having to explain about themselves. It takes real effort to have to bring
someone up-to-date about who you are, what you care about, and what you've done in
your life. At the very minimum, it takes about two hours to tell someone you've met
about your background and interests. Think of the times you've met someone new and
how tiresome it can be to have to launch into your entire life history. Set up a
personal web page, and skip all that repetitious yapping.
People speak at about 300 baud, and read at about 9600 baud (or faster). If someone
is interested in learning about your background or interests, they could do it 32
times faster by visiting your web page than by sitting down to talk with you in person.
Wait, wait, wait, I can hear the objections already. Sure, there are good reasons
for people to sit down to talk with one another face to face. But it can be tiresome,
boring, and repetitious for people to have to explain the same things over and over
again to each and every person they meet. Each of us is given a fixed number of minutes
on this planet. We need to cut out the repetitious talking and move on to the more
meaningful conversations, or risk being condemned to small talk for the rest of our
short lives. <soapbox mode off>
Other reasons for setting up a personal web page? They let people quickly find out
who you are. Last month I sent the Washington Post newspaper a letter to the editor.
Two days later I received a phone call from a technology editor at the Post, verifying
information in the letter. The editor happened to mention that his dad and my dad
might have worked together in UNICEF in the 1950's. How would he know that? From
my web page.
My web page also serves as a fast "authenticator." My letter was on a
topic relevant to my work, and my web page let the newspaper to do some fast fact-checking.
Along the same lines, a personal web page can serve as an "authenticating"
device when people buy or sell second-hand items over the Internet. If you're going
to send money to a seller, wouldn't you feel more comfortable if you could first
browse their personal web page? Likewise, wouldn't you feel more comfortable first
browsing a buyer's personal web page before sending them your valuables?
Becoming Connected to Others
Often we journey through life knowing little about each other. You probably know
little about any of your neighbors. You could live for 50 years on the same street
and be unaware that one of your neighbors shares some of the exact same interests
as you.
Truth is, most of us don't have a clue about each other. Even close friends continually
surprise me with interesting facets of their lives I had never known of before. If
these friends had set up personal web pages telling about themselves, I might have
come to know them sooner and in greater depth. I could have learned who they were
three years ago, rather than today.
One fascinating aspect of the world wide web is that it offers the opportunity to
shorten the time period involved in discovering background information about friends
and colleagues. By visiting a person's home page you can find a lot about who they
are and what they're interested in.
Why is it important for people to know about each others' lives? It's important because
otherwise we could all pass through life without the slightest idea of what anybody
else is doing. This would be a shame because of the enormous number of missed opportunities
for people to connect with each other.
The reason personal web pages are so interesting is that they allow us to better
understand where each of us is coming from. And the more you know about where a
person is coming from, the better you'll be able to understand who they are.
Human beings are multifaceted. For instance, I happen to have a strong interest
in educational technology. But I'm also very interested in special-needs computing,
video production, multiculturalism, philosophy, music, history and ethics. One of
my strongest interests is equitable access to technology. I also try to follow the
arts, for the arts dignify the soul.
My interests and hobbies are all laid out publicly on my web page. Interests and
hobbies are a good starting point for building a personal web page. But if your web
page is merely a list of interests and hobbies, you're overlooking one of the best
tools for letting others learn about you. If you want others to gain a view into
who you are as a person, you need to include creative and expository writings on
your web page. How you write, and what you choose to write about, reveal essential
clues as to who you are as a person.
We live in a world where most of us pass thru life oblivious of our fellow travelers
in time. The world wide web is a powerful tool for making all of us a little more
informed about each other.
So take time to learn who your fellow travelers are. Take time to tell them who you
are. You may be surprised at the connections that result.
Phil Shapiro is a freelance writer and computer consultant. He recently added RealAudio
classical and folk guitar melodies to his web page, and takes special pride in the
whimsical children's stories on his page. He can be reached at pshapiro@his.com
and http://www.his.com/pshapiro/
The above essay is one of thirty essays in the book, Thinking About Online Communications.
Excerpts of these think-piece essays can be found at http://www.his.com/pshapiro/taoc.excerpts.html
Needs some ideas of how to make a lively personal web page? Check out the very witty
and amusing web page of computer columnist Rosalind Resnick. http://www.netcreations.com/rosalind/
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