Online Identity
“An identity is a complex social and personal construct, consisting in part of who we think ourselves to be, how we wish others to perceive us, and how they actually perceive us” (Wood,Smith, 2001).
“An identity is a complex social and personal construct, consisting in part of who we think ourselves to be, how we wish others to perceive us, and how they actually perceive us” (Wood,Smith, 2001).
The groups I own under Yahoo groups is an example of the online identities I own. There are 16 broad categories under Yahoo groups. They range from business, education, entertainment, and religion to hobbies. Each category has about as little as eight sub-categories or as many as 23 sub-categories. One group I have been part of for the past five years is the Hrithik Roshan fanclub. Currently, there are 7453 members in this group. Joining this group allows me to identify myself with other fans of the Hindi actor. We discuss the latest happenings around this actor; share the latest pictures and information on him. 
Reputation
The Donnath paper states that most participants engage in creating an identity for two reasons. Firstly, it helps them to conceive their own reputation. Next, it allows others to recognize and identify with them due to similarities (Donnath, 1996). In the virtual world, the identity of a person is essential in establishing their credentials when giving away information for others.
By sharing pictures and credible information about this actor, I have managed to establish a good reputation for myself. It feels good increasing my online social network while helping others by offering advice. A female once who went by user name, viangels, was on the verge of giving up on her thesis paper. She shared her problem with the rest of the members. We managed to motivate and boost her self-esteem though we only knew she was a twenty one year old from Kuwait. Eventually, she managed to finish her paper. However, the anecdote below shows otherwise.
A family friend, who is radio deejay, once told jokingly about how he would never believe his wife anymore. His wife read online in a reliable medical website that eating fruits before a meal is better than eating fruits after the meal. He took her word for it and mentioned it on air. Within minutes after the show was over, he received a call from MOH (Ministry of Health). The caller said that such a health claim does not exist, as it has no scientific backing. He apologized to the listeners the next day, as he was thoroughly embarrasses by passing misinformation to the listeners.
This incident shows two things. Firstly, the fact that we are under constant surveillance in this nation does have its benefits as it lessens the likelihood of people being misled(but by whom is whole new question). Next, even a credible looking website may contain bogus information. Therefore, caution has to be exercised at every step in this virtual world.
This anecdote is characteristic of one of the things highlighted in Cialdini’s text, blind obedience to authority. In the virtual world, a person’s title is of particular significance. Anyone can claim to be medical doctor from a reputable university. Cialdini advises his readers to ask two questions when dealing with authority. The first question should channel our attention towards seeing if there is “evidence for authority status”. The second question should focus on the trustworthiness of the authority. For example, one can ask if the authority in question is truly an expert. Even though the person is credible, they may be financially backed by some organization. This may undermine the authority’s credibility especially if the advice given seems to benefit that particular organization (Cialdini, 2001).
Deception
The video manages to capture the true virtual world in a matter of ten minutes. It contains a string of contradictions as almost everyone is not what they are really are. Everyone is engaged in role reversal, as they want to seem different from their true self. Why would people choose to be portray themselves differently. Are they insecure about themselves or just scared to reveal information about themselves. In many of the scenerios depicted in the video, I think it is more of the former than the latter. For example, the partially bald man asks the young girl her age. She replies that she is 14, which is believable. However, he tells her that he is 15. That is a downright lie, which can be categorized as dramatic irony. Then, the young boy exclaims that he likes N’Sync, which the man in his fifties agrees to. What is the relationship between a boy band and an old fart?
However, identity theft is indeed a scary notion. Bruce Schneier wrote in his blog about online security in which he says that the mere term itself is an oxymoron (Schneier, 2005). How can someone’s identity be stolen? Seriously, the mere thought of it is ironic and hilarious. However, when one probes deeper into the whole thing, the humor fades and anxiety sets in. An invasion of privacy is something only celebrities had to deal with. Not anymore. Now, average Joes have this to consider when giving away personal information online.
Someone could decide to use my personal information to join the same groups I have joined. Then they could claim that my account is a hoax while theirs is not. They could then use flaming or spaming under my name. This would cause my online reputation to disintegrate in the eyes of my fellow group members.
Conclusion: A balance is the best solution
Our identity is like our fingerprint. There can be no two of the same kind. However, the advent in technology has made it easy for certain troublemakers to impersonate you. After a while, even your close ones would have difficulty distinguishing between the real you and fake you. Therefore, it is critical to strike a balance by not revealing too much information about yourself in personal profile page or to other online group members.
References
Wood,Smith, A,M (2001). Online Communication: linking technology, identity, and culture . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Reputation
The Donnath paper states that most participants engage in creating an identity for two reasons. Firstly, it helps them to conceive their own reputation. Next, it allows others to recognize and identify with them due to similarities (Donnath, 1996). In the virtual world, the identity of a person is essential in establishing their credentials when giving away information for others.
By sharing pictures and credible information about this actor, I have managed to establish a good reputation for myself. It feels good increasing my online social network while helping others by offering advice. A female once who went by user name, viangels, was on the verge of giving up on her thesis paper. She shared her problem with the rest of the members. We managed to motivate and boost her self-esteem though we only knew she was a twenty one year old from Kuwait. Eventually, she managed to finish her paper. However, the anecdote below shows otherwise.
A family friend, who is radio deejay, once told jokingly about how he would never believe his wife anymore. His wife read online in a reliable medical website that eating fruits before a meal is better than eating fruits after the meal. He took her word for it and mentioned it on air. Within minutes after the show was over, he received a call from MOH (Ministry of Health). The caller said that such a health claim does not exist, as it has no scientific backing. He apologized to the listeners the next day, as he was thoroughly embarrasses by passing misinformation to the listeners.
This incident shows two things. Firstly, the fact that we are under constant surveillance in this nation does have its benefits as it lessens the likelihood of people being misled(but by whom is whole new question). Next, even a credible looking website may contain bogus information. Therefore, caution has to be exercised at every step in this virtual world.
This anecdote is characteristic of one of the things highlighted in Cialdini’s text, blind obedience to authority. In the virtual world, a person’s title is of particular significance. Anyone can claim to be medical doctor from a reputable university. Cialdini advises his readers to ask two questions when dealing with authority. The first question should channel our attention towards seeing if there is “evidence for authority status”. The second question should focus on the trustworthiness of the authority. For example, one can ask if the authority in question is truly an expert. Even though the person is credible, they may be financially backed by some organization. This may undermine the authority’s credibility especially if the advice given seems to benefit that particular organization (Cialdini, 2001).
Deception
The video manages to capture the true virtual world in a matter of ten minutes. It contains a string of contradictions as almost everyone is not what they are really are. Everyone is engaged in role reversal, as they want to seem different from their true self. Why would people choose to be portray themselves differently. Are they insecure about themselves or just scared to reveal information about themselves. In many of the scenerios depicted in the video, I think it is more of the former than the latter. For example, the partially bald man asks the young girl her age. She replies that she is 14, which is believable. However, he tells her that he is 15. That is a downright lie, which can be categorized as dramatic irony. Then, the young boy exclaims that he likes N’Sync, which the man in his fifties agrees to. What is the relationship between a boy band and an old fart?
However, identity theft is indeed a scary notion. Bruce Schneier wrote in his blog about online security in which he says that the mere term itself is an oxymoron (Schneier, 2005). How can someone’s identity be stolen? Seriously, the mere thought of it is ironic and hilarious. However, when one probes deeper into the whole thing, the humor fades and anxiety sets in. An invasion of privacy is something only celebrities had to deal with. Not anymore. Now, average Joes have this to consider when giving away personal information online.
Someone could decide to use my personal information to join the same groups I have joined. Then they could claim that my account is a hoax while theirs is not. They could then use flaming or spaming under my name. This would cause my online reputation to disintegrate in the eyes of my fellow group members.
Conclusion: A balance is the best solution
Our identity is like our fingerprint. There can be no two of the same kind. However, the advent in technology has made it easy for certain troublemakers to impersonate you. After a while, even your close ones would have difficulty distinguishing between the real you and fake you. Therefore, it is critical to strike a balance by not revealing too much information about yourself in personal profile page or to other online group members.
References
Wood,Smith, A,M (2001). Online Communication: linking technology, identity, and culture . Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Donnath, J (1996). Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from MIT Media Lab Web site: http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html
Cialdini, R (2001). Influence:Science and Practice. Allyn and Bacon.
Schneier, B (2005,April,15). Schneier on Security:Mitigating Identity Theft. Retrieved February 22, 2007, from Bruce Schneier Web site: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2005/04/mitigating_iden.html
1 comment:
Good analogy using your Yahoo groups to point out how your online identity works. Full grade awarded. :)
Post a Comment