UW-Whitewater to host social media conference on privacy and transparency

On Tuesday, March 9, at 6:30 p.m., industry professionals will host “What Happens in Vegas stays on Facebook,” in Winther Hall, Room 2001, at the UW-Whitewater campus.
The discussion will be led by Katie Felton, president of MKELive, and Emily Lenard, associate director, of Wired Wisconsin.
They will discuss how to avoid pitfalls on Facebook that could affect individuals when they are searching for employment or preservation of a person’s reputation in general.
“(Wired Wisconsin is) really dedicated to advancing policies and really educating people on technology issues that effect businesses,” Lenard said. “This presentation mimicks a similar presentation I did that really gets students thinking about the fact that not only what they do but also what their friends do on social media sites reflects on their images and it’s really about encouraging everyone to be mindful.”
According to Lenard, the seminar will discuss from a student standpoint what future employers will be able to see, but will also address how the way we communicate from an academic and a professional standpoint has changed.
“Ideally we’d like to get people thinking, and teach them about the tools out there for them and their employers to monitor their public perception,” Lenard said. “We always want them to be keeping an eye to the future, and what their actions now could mean in regards to that.”
Online perceptions make up a huge portion of who somebody is these days, Lenard said.
“It’s that online perception that almost always makes the first impression on people and we want to make sure that an individual’s online perception really matches up to who they really are,” she said.
The seminar is free and open to the public. Anyone currently looking for a job or working for a professional organization is encouraged to attend. The discussion will dispel rumors about privacy settings, and pay services for transparency in social media.