QotW5: Online Identity, Reputation, Deception
Our real-life identity is known to those around us and is difficult to control. This includes our race, status, occupation and level of education. (Wikipedia,2007)
As for online identity which is common for people to have now, we are free to redefine ourselves at our own wish.(Wikipedia, 2007). Said Sartre in Being and Nothingness, ``I am my body to the extent that I am,'' The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter. Information spreads and diffuses; there is no law of the conservation of information. The inhabitants of this impalpable space are also diffuse, free from the body's unifying anchor. One can have, some claim, as many electronic personas as one has time and energy to create. (Donath,J).Online identity can also establish both reputation and deception.
An online identity that I am familiar with and that I had engaged in the past is the IRC (Internet Relay Chat). To participate in the IRC, as most of us know, we need to have a nickname for ourselves and it is unlikely or uncommon for anyone to use their real name in the cyber world. I named myself ‘MissBliss’. Basically, I wanted to build a reputation of myself as someone who is happy, cheerful, contented and open-minded to the cyber users out there.
I feel that almost all IRC users aim to create a reputation that benefits them. Those who feel that they are not so pretty and handsome in real life may present themselves online as much better looking. Those who are not so educated may want to fake their level of education just to make the other users online perceived them as more superior. The young may want to relate themselves in a more mature way while those who are matured pretended to be young online. Well, not all IRC users react in that manner. Some may portray their true real-life identity online but overall, each aim to create their own reputation which benefits them.
IRC users consist of different individuals. They may be a model, a teacher, a nurse or even a doctor! So how can someone else assume this online identity? Just fake and pretend to be one! A teacher in IRC may not be a teacher in real-life identity. A model in IRC may not be a model in real-life identity. Honestly speaking, I had tried once changing my true identity in IRC and explored how it affects the number of IRC users that tag me. I feel that to engage in IRC, it is important for one to be mature and critical enough to tackle the deceptions that surround the cyber world.
To conclude, IRC should be mentioned in particular as one of the good examples of online identity as it paved way for new online identities such as IM, Blogs and MMORPGS. Creating an online identity is fun and interesting. It may also be a form of escapism for some of us. Online identity is indeed a booming trend sought after by many.
Citations
Donath, J. (1996).Identity and deception in the virtual community. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html
Wikipedia. (February 15, 2007). Online Identity. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity
Suler, John.(April 2000). Identity Management in Cyberspace. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/identitymanage.html
Our real-life identity is known to those around us and is difficult to control. This includes our race, status, occupation and level of education. (Wikipedia,2007)
As for online identity which is common for people to have now, we are free to redefine ourselves at our own wish.(Wikipedia, 2007). Said Sartre in Being and Nothingness, ``I am my body to the extent that I am,'' The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter. Information spreads and diffuses; there is no law of the conservation of information. The inhabitants of this impalpable space are also diffuse, free from the body's unifying anchor. One can have, some claim, as many electronic personas as one has time and energy to create. (Donath,J).Online identity can also establish both reputation and deception.
An online identity that I am familiar with and that I had engaged in the past is the IRC (Internet Relay Chat). To participate in the IRC, as most of us know, we need to have a nickname for ourselves and it is unlikely or uncommon for anyone to use their real name in the cyber world. I named myself ‘MissBliss’. Basically, I wanted to build a reputation of myself as someone who is happy, cheerful, contented and open-minded to the cyber users out there.
I feel that almost all IRC users aim to create a reputation that benefits them. Those who feel that they are not so pretty and handsome in real life may present themselves online as much better looking. Those who are not so educated may want to fake their level of education just to make the other users online perceived them as more superior. The young may want to relate themselves in a more mature way while those who are matured pretended to be young online. Well, not all IRC users react in that manner. Some may portray their true real-life identity online but overall, each aim to create their own reputation which benefits them.
IRC users consist of different individuals. They may be a model, a teacher, a nurse or even a doctor! So how can someone else assume this online identity? Just fake and pretend to be one! A teacher in IRC may not be a teacher in real-life identity. A model in IRC may not be a model in real-life identity. Honestly speaking, I had tried once changing my true identity in IRC and explored how it affects the number of IRC users that tag me. I feel that to engage in IRC, it is important for one to be mature and critical enough to tackle the deceptions that surround the cyber world.
To conclude, IRC should be mentioned in particular as one of the good examples of online identity as it paved way for new online identities such as IM, Blogs and MMORPGS. Creating an online identity is fun and interesting. It may also be a form of escapism for some of us. Online identity is indeed a booming trend sought after by many.
Citations
Donath, J. (1996).Identity and deception in the virtual community. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html
Wikipedia. (February 15, 2007). Online Identity. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity
Suler, John.(April 2000). Identity Management in Cyberspace. Retrieved February 21, 2007, from http://www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/identitymanage.html
posted by Ainil @ 1:10 PM
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