Digital Citizenship and Online Safety
- Read the scenario about a student who uses Facebook/MySpace/Online Chat/Online Games. (this should be a situation in which the student has made poor or unsafe choices with regards to the information they've put online). Answer the following questions in the online message board:
- What parts of what this student has done might endanger them?
- How can a student use social networking tools like Facebook/MySpace and still be safe?
- If you were a parent and your child were using Facebook/MySpace what would you suggest to them about being safe?
- Netiquette:
- If you were looking for information in World of Warcraft about a particular item/quest/location, how would you communicate that to another player? While in a capital city, approach someone who is not in our guild (class) and ask them for information about _____. Use the suggestions we discussed in class (complete sentences, no abbreviations, proper grammar) when you ask. How did they respond? Why is this type of communication important? When is it OK to use Net-Speak (shortened words, abbreviations, etc.)? When is it NOT OK?
- What sort of things have you seen other players do in World of Warcraft that are annoying or even harassing? How did this affect your experience? List five things that all responsible people SHOULD do in a virtual world. List five things responsible people SHOULD NOT do in a virtual world. How can your behavior positively/negatively affect other players?
- Writing Blizzard (the producers of World of Warcraft): You have just been informed that your class will no longer be able to do ____ in the game and you are upset about it. You decide to write the company, Blizzard, about your feelings and share with them your suggestions for an alternative. Write this letter in the course forums. It should be properly formatted and should use proper netiquette.
- Griefing (the act of purposely interrupting the game play or experience of another user/player in an online game/VW):
- Watch the videos of ____ and _____ (typical YouTube videos depicting player griefing in a virtual world). Do you think the actions of the players in these situations was acceptable? Why/Why not? If you were a monitor for the company who produced the game/VW, how would you deal with griefers?