Background
figure 1. Visitor vs Resident
Visitor vs Resident typology seems to be mapping individuals’ online engagement. These narratives seem to class certain people together based on the attitude that they have towards technology and how they utilize it. Some people only use the Internet to complete certain tasks while others are forever online. What qualifies one to be ‘Visitor’ or ‘Resident’ it entirely depends on the attitude one has towards the use of technology, and whether their uses are continuum or just once in a while.
figure 2. Here is Dave White Explaining in details
However, the Concept of mapping individuals’ online engagement is not new to scholars, now we have the typology (Visitor Vs Residence typology) before this typology we had (Digital Immigrant VS Digital Native) and, it has been greatly debated by By Ofer Zur, as (Digital Immigrant) & Azzia Zur, as (Digital Native). Even though this typology has been widely criticized. Honestly I like the typology proposed by Ofer Zur and Azzia Zur.
Figure 3. Modes of engagement
Regardless of where one does fall within the spectrum, whether you are a resident or visitor. You are browsing websites either on the personal level or at the organizational level ( sometimes referred to as Institutional). What is the difference between organizational vs Personal level? This levels are usually referred to as modes of engagement.
Figure 4. Mode of engagement on Personal Vs Institutional/Organizational
The difference between David White (Visitor vs Resident typology) and that of Ofer Zur and Azzia Zur, (Digital Immigrant VS Digital Native).
It is said that The Visitor refers to participants who use internet or visit website to fulfill a transaction but seldom leave a hint or indication of their online activities. In other words, The Visitor alludes to members who use websites to satisfy an exchange however once in a while. i.e. Visitors use their cell phones to pay their bills for a while, and go offline (Wright, et al., 2014).
On the other hand, Resident is the total opposite of what a visitor is. Resident can be monitoring their social activities online. Typically, they do have more than one account. They build platforms which allow people to interact, engage actively with their followers or teams (White & Le Cornu, 2011).
“Digital native” is a term for individuals conceived in the advanced age, this classification is Sometimes alluded to as the “iGeneration” or is characterized as being brought into the world with “computerized DNA.” Conversely, the expression “digital immigrants” alludes to the individuals who were conceived before the computerized age which can dated back as 1964 and who experienced childhood in a pre-PC world (Zur & Zur, 2011).
Digital natives in the most broad terms, digital natives talk and inhale the scripting language and the web culture into which they were conceived, digital immigrants will never connect with innovation, passion, ease and as normally as the digital natives who grew up with Technology (Zur & Zur, 2011).
Limitation of Visitor vs resident typology
Limitation of David White (Visitor vs Resident typology) is that it fails to recognize the fact that even though some people may be born and raised around technology, some may by choice be techno-phobic, resulting in them being Visitor or digital immigrant.
While Some maybe born raised in a pre-PC world they may be more advanced than some of the those born and raised around technology, when it comes to PC skills or attitude towards technology and they utilization of it.
unlike Visitor vs Resident typology: Digital native’s vs Digital immigrants, acknowledges that indeed these two categories of class are not the same but, it’s important to keep in mind that not every digital immigrant is built differently, and same applies digital natives. Although most digital natives are tech-savvy because they are born, and raised around technology, others don’t have a knack for technology and computers, or even a desire or willingness to learn more (Zur & Zur, 2011).
Zur and Zur, (2011) acknowledges that both Digital natives (Residents) and Digital immigrants may have members that exhibit the following signs:
Avoiders: Some youngsters, despite the fact that they were brought into the world advanced, don’t feel a proclivity for computerized innovations and, in contrast to the greater part of their friends, they are not enchanted by Facebook, messaging or versatile advancements. Individuals from this little gathering of computerized locals utilize a wireless (it’s basically cripplingly illogical not to have one nowadays), yet don’t have an email, Facebook or Twitter account, and may not have Internet access at home. They presumably have a more seasoned telephone and don’t content (Zur & Zur, 2011).
Reluctant adopters understand that innovation is a piece of the present world, and they attempt to lock in with it negligibly and just when they see it is vital. They Google for data on the off chance that they need to and buy online just on the off chance that they can’t do as such in a neighborhood store. While they may have a Facebook account, they may check it just once per day or each couple of days. They will request headings to a companion’s home rather than just getting the location and finding it on Google maps. In the event that completely fundamental, they will utilize Skype or a GPS framework, yet they are not anxious to do as such (Zur & Zur, 2011).
Recommended reading
Prensky’s Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants: A critique
Reference List
Jiscnet skills, 2014. Visitors and Residents. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPOG3iThmRI
[Accessed 10 March 2020].
White, D., 2013. Just the Mapping. [Online]
Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSK1Iw1XtwQ
[Accessed 10 March 2020].
White, D. S. & Le Cornu, A., 2011. Visitors and Residents: A new typology for online engagement. first Monday, 16(9).
Wright, F., White, D., Hirst, T. & Cann, A., 2014. Visitors and Residents: mapping student attitudes to academic use of social networks. Journal Learning, Media and Technology, 39(1), pp. 126-141.
Zur, O. & Zur, A., 2011. On Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives:How the Digital Divide Affects Families, Educational Institutions, and the Workplace. [Online]
Available at: http://bb.plsweb.com/ENG_2012/m1/OnDigitalImmigrantsandDigitalNatives.pdf
[Accessed 04 March 2020].
