The Mask

QotW5: Online Identity

Introduction:

Ever since the dawn of the internet in the mid 1990s, it has taken many transformations over the past 10 years or so. Today, we depend on the internet way more than anything else. Apart from gathering information from the internet, computer-mediated communication is the ‘in-thing’ now; be it through mIRC, MSN Messenger, emails or via games. In order to communicate, we need an online identity. However, is this ‘online identity’ the same as our real identity?

Previously, the norm used to be “one body, one identity”, however now, “one can have, some claim, as many electronic personas as one has time and energy to create.” (Donath, 1996). Since the virtual identity is ambiguous, it is rather hard to spot the real from the fake.

Building Reputation:

One online identity that I am particularly familiar with other than emails is the social networking site, Friendster, since I have an account there.
Friendster is an internet social network service that was founded in 2002. It is based on the ‘Circle of Friends’ technique for networking individuals in virtual communities and demonstrates the small world phenomenon. Friendster was considered the top online social network service until around April 2004 when it was overtaken by MySpace in terms of page views, according to Nielsen//NetRatings. (Friendster, 2007). Most of the members on Friendster today are teenagers and young adults. These people usually try to keep in contact with their old friends or make new ones. Then again, there are strangers within the site who can always send you messages, reaching up to you.

In Friendster, reputation is basically built by two ways. Firstly, in an attempt to widen our social circle, we willingly put up our real name, age, birthdate, likes and dislikes, and pictures of ourselves. These data when collectively used provide others with a wholesome picture of who we really are. Another new feature of Friendster is the blog. Through the blog, readers can basically read you like a book, because bloggers tend to pen down their inner most feelings and thoughts.

Another avenue to establish reputation would be through the testimonials written by our friends. Apart from our parents, our friends know us best; they know who we really are and what our activities are like. Thus, our reputation, whether good or bad, is based on the testimonials we receive. Since we meet people online, the only way we can introduce ourselves to them is through our profile and testimonials.

Identity Theft:

Identity theft works especially well in online communities, where your identity is not known unless stated by the users themselves. In Friendster, since almost all your minute details are up for ‘display’, identity theft is made effortless. For example, ‘B’ is an identity thief. He comes across your Friendster homepage and browses through your information, testimonials and your friends. He then sets up another account with a different email, pretending to be you, adds all of your friends, and worse, talks to them while assuming your identity. Now, your identity has officially been stolen! If I can pass as you, I can wreck havoc on your reputation, either on-line or off. (Donath, 1996). There is nothing that you can do because he has got all your details at his fingertips. To make things awful, you might not even know that your identity has been stolen.

Another form of identity theft is Pseudonymity. It is a word derived from pseudonym, meaning 'false name', and describes a state of disguised identity resulting from the use of a pseudonym (also called nym). The pseudonym identifies a holder, that is, one or more human beings who possess but do not disclose their true names (that is, legal identities). (Pseudonymity, 2006).

Conclusion:

These days where tarnishing of reputation and identity theft is rampant, internet users should be very well aware of the dangers that could arise due to revealing too much personal information online. Basically responsible use of the internet should be encouraged in order to prevent unwanted distress.

References:

1. “Pseudonymity” (December 16, 2006) From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved 10:10, February 20, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudonymity#Pseudonymity_and_online_reputations

2. “Online Identity” (February 15, 2006) From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved 10:21, February 20, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_identity

3. Donath, J. S. “Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community” (November 12, 1996). Retrieved February 20, 2007 from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

4. “Friendster” (February 13, 2007) From Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, Retrieved 10:30, February 20, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendster