Web Presence: Reflecting an Intended Impression
Web presence functions to project an online personality which reflects an intended impression of what one would like other people to see about them. There are different ways that people choose to present themselves in different circumstances. In this regard, blogs, social networks, as well as other content-sharing sites may be used to create a web presence for an individual, a group or a business. While some people are afraid to share content about themselves on the internet, it has become necessary to do so in order to influence a positive outlook on their online reputation and thus get more opportunities. An online presence also allows them to tell their stories on various issues the way they want them told.
About Page and Choices for Various Elements of the Exegesis
The focus of this paper is a made-up persona who goes by the name of Ronny Adams. He is a passionate photographer and tourist, thus he loves traveling and capturing moments. In the exegesis, there is a clear relationship shown between the choices made while creating the web presence as well as the results yielded through their impact on the general appearance of Ronny on the internet. His web presence is captured through his profile in the chosen central node, a WordPress blog. According to Boyd "Ellison (2007), profiles such as this one enable people to "type themselves into being" thus they can be easily identified through their profiles. The central node, WordPress is fitting for the web presence task as it is a free and easy to use tool for blogging. Moreover, it offers benefits such as the ability to manage online content from any computer, no need for an HTML editing or FTP software, compatibility with most search engines, a built-in blog ready for use, room for extending functionalities of the site by using plugins and a complete control over the site. Linking the central website to other social networks makes it possible for people to have a wide range of platforms from which they can collaboratively contribute to any content posted online. Consequently, the nodes enhance the web presence performance (Papparissi, 2011). Besides the central node, contributing nodes have also been chosen and they comprise social networking sites; Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, as well as a bookmarking site known as Evernote.
Ronnyphotography: Capturing Moments through Photography
Ronnyphotography is ideal for the name of the blog because people will quickly identify it as a photography platform while also associating it with the owner (Ronny) and the pictures he shares. Moreover, a simple but beautiful graphic design will be needed to make a layout for the blog. Therefore, black lines forming the shape of a picture-frame with shadows for an aesthetic view will be sufficient to communicate that the blog is centered on photography. Any images to be used will be searched and picked from those accessible on creative commons so that there is no infringement on copyrighted images. In creating the WordPress Profile or any platform linking to the blog, images of Ronny will be used only sparingly because he is not the focus of the blog. The images shared are supposed to focus on the landscapes and other aesthetic views.
Simplicity and Attention-Grabbing Visuals
It is important to have a simple layout so that visitors of the site are not carried away by anything fancy but rather focus on Ronny's photographs. Additionally, very few texts are to be used in the blog to avoid deviating from the main role of the platform which is photography. As for the main theme of the photographs, the focus is placed on beautiful landscapes and sceneries as a representation of Ronny's adventure to various parts of the world. An RSS feed is also necessary on the blog's sidebar for purposes of allowing the audience to follow any updates Ronny will make as well as any new posts he will publish. Further, the blog archive can be clearly displayed so that old posts can be accessed easily and quickly. For better results, a rule of thumb is to apply simplicity and make the images large and visible in a bid to capture the visitors' attention.
Making Connections: The Contributing Nodes
Contributing nodes comprising Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Evernote were selected to be the basis for creating the network connections and thus should employ a strategy for attracting a huge following. AddThis tool comes in handy because it can be used with the nodes to add followers with easy-to-install buttons in more than 65 social networks (AddThis, nd). The buttons are linked to the central node's username in every social networking site used to share the photography content. AddThis also offers the advantage of providing buttons that have matching sizes to enhance the appearance of the blog's layout. Consequently, "front stage" presentation of the blog is such that it captures the attention of the visitors, a function that is greatly enhanced by the web 2.0 tools multimedia (Papparissi, 2011).
Reaching a Wide Audience through Various Nodes
Each of the contributing nodes was chosen for a reason. To begin with, Instagram is a user-friendly content-sharing platform that is dedicated to images and thus very relevant to Ronny's photography-based blog. Moreover, it is among the most popular image-sharing applications with over 800 million users globally (Balakrishnan & Boorstin, 2018). Facebook is also widely used and presents an alternative for people who do use Instagram. Its status as a dedicated social media platform means it can be used to nurture an already existing connection while also coming up with new ones through existing friends (Boyd & Ellison, 2007). Twitter, on the other hand, places a significant emphasis on sociability and limits the number of characters for content posted. It follows that users can easily get short descriptions for Ronny's images and a quick link, thus reaching many people. The fourth contributing node, Evernote, is necessary because it can store a collection of images that can be accessed from any device.
Web Presence: Inspiring Anyone, No Specific Target Audience
There is no specific target audience for the content that will be shared on the various nodes. The aim is to inspire anyone who comes across the photographs and to share them for more viewership. Indeed, the nature of many web 2.0 platforms is that users post content without really focusing on any specific audience or knowing who will view their posts (Staff, 2009). It is not possible to control an online audience and there may be cases of various networks colliding. For example, content on a blog that would appeal to one's friends may be equally appealing to their parents. Therefore, it is pointless to have Ronny's content targeting a particular group of people when anyone and everyone can view the content online, through the massive connections created by the contributing nodes. The nature of the content on Ronnyphotography is simply photographs of beautiful sceneries which are not meant for any particular demographic. It follows that the content does not pose any threat of collision between different groups in his audience.
Conclusion
The overall web presence created is a representation of Ronny Adams' love for photography and the hobby of traveling. Choices for the central node (WordPress) and contributing nodes (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Evernote) are really powerful as they create robust connections which cannot be realized offline. Moreover, layouts throughout are based on simplicity and the desire to share breathtaking photographs of nature with anyone who stumbles upon them in Ronny's undefined online audience. Therefore, his way of expressing himself highlights the overall appearance of the resultant web presence.
References
AddThis. (n.d.). Follow Buttons. Retrieved from https://www.addthis.com/get/follow/#
Balakrishnan, A., " Boorstin, J. (2018, July 25). Instagram says it now has 800 million users, up 100 million since April. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2017/09/25/how-many-users-does-Instagram-have-now-800-million.html
Boyd, D. M., " Ellison, N. B. (2007). Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-mediated Communication, 13(1), 210-230.
Papacharissi, Z. (2011). A networked self. A networked self, 304.
Staff, W. (2009, June 15). User-created online culture isn't "mass culture," but its culture by the masses. Retrieved from https://www.wired.com/2009/06/user-created-online-culture-isnt-mass-culture-but-its-culture-by-the-masses
