Virtual Identity

boyd, d. & Heer, J. (2006). Profiles as conversation: Networked identity performance on Friendster. Proceedings from HICSS-39: Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences . Kauai, HI: IEEE Computer Society.

The authors conducted a study examining the online social networking site Friendster over a 9-month period, involving 1.5 million profiles associated with 200 participants. Profiles of Friendster users are described as fluid rather than static, reflecting not just the individual, but rather interactions with other represented individuals. In the world of Friendster, performance and interpretation are key elements at play. The creative performances of "Fakesters" are discussed, as well as frozen performances that make up a "digital graveyard". The active performances of users lead to both public and private forms of discourse, which occur in both linguistic and non-linguistic forms (such as photosharing). Unique cultural rules include when it is appropriate to "friend" another, choices in textual representation of one's identity, and reciprocity in public communication (as represented by the "testimonials" feature). The authors also discuss the evolution of Friendster popularity, attributing its decline to the extinction of "Fakesters" by moderators, a lack of network limitations, and a lack of new interactive content. This research could serve useful in a comparative analysis that discusses the importance of play, the impact of a site's popularity, and the effects of moderation.

Ellison, N., Heino, R., & Gibbs, J. (2006). Managing impressions online: Self-presentation processes in the online dating environment. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 11 (2). Retrieved 6 May 2007 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol11/issue2/ellison.html.

Gross, R. & Acquisti, A. (2005). Information revelation and privacy in online social networks (the Facebook case). Proceedings from ACM WPES: ACM Workshop on Privacy in the Electronic Society. Washington, D.C.

The researchers conducted a quantitative study on 4,000 Facebook users at Carnegie Mellon University. Information was derived from actual field data- the Facebook profiles themselves. Three factors of information revelation in online communities are identifiability of the user, types of information presented, and visibility. These factors were the focus of data analysis. The researchers also discussed the issue of re-identification, which occurs either through recognition of a pseudonymous user by searching for this information, or knowledge of unknown characteristics of an identified subject on another site. Results show that users appear fairly unconcerned about revealing personal information on the site, exhibiting trust in the corporation and in other members. Also discussed are the risks involved in information revelation, such as identity theft, stalking, embarrassment and blackmailing. This article is slightly dated (2005), and concerns over privacy on the Internet have since grown exponentially due to media dramatization and new features implemented by Facebook (namely, the News Feed, which encouraged many to finally implement some of the privacy options made available to users). Statistical data is abundant, and could supplement a comparative analysis.

Liu, H., Maes, P. & Davenport, G. (2006). Unraveling the taste fabric of social networks. International Journal on Semantic Web and Information Systems 2 (1), 42-71.

The researchers undertook an immense project, converting the disparate interests and consumption choices of over 100,000 social networking profiles (derived from Friendster and Orkut) into a semantic fabric of taste. General interests, which are typically located at the top of profiles, were coded into 1,000 identity categories. Specific interests (e.g; "Favorite Books", "Favorite Movies") were coded into 21,000 descriptors. These descriptors were then geographically coded into the identity categories, forming identity hubs, taste neighborhoods, and taste cliques. The experimenters formulated three tools from this data: InterestMap, an interactive, visual taste-based recommendation system; Ambient Semantics, which links individuals according to shared tastes; and IdentityMirror, a visual representation of the individual composed of her various taste preferences. This project is theoretically supported by Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton's notion of individual identity as being comprised of the "symbolic environment", which both echoes and reinforces identity. The researchers also detail support for an individual's interests as sharing a common unified aesthetic. In online social networking sites, however, the concept of identity is complicated by the performative, self-conscious nature of publicizing one's personal profile. One of the implications I derived from this article was the potential for the creation of true interest-based communities that are capable of a radical clarification and reconfiguration of the networked individual.

Rosen, C. (2005). The age of egocasting. The New Atlantis: A Journal of Technology and Society, 7, 51-72.

Rosen, a technology journalist, discusses emerging online community practices in terms of a modern-day process she has coined "egocasting". She documents the recent history of communicative technologies, which allow individuals to control with increasing precision the information they consume. Popular contraptions such as TiVo and the iPod allow individuals the capacity to avoid the sounds, images, and ideas we don't agree with. She warns of the potential of this power for crafting a culture that is profoundly impatient and critical of all that does not align with their ideologies of choice. The parallels to online communities are cutting. Though our culture frequently heralds the globalizing force of technology, there are darker implications that this technology may allow us to blind ourselves entirely to ideas and information that contest our beliefs and challenge our comfortable notions of ourselves, others, and the world at large.

Stutzman, F. (2006) An evaluation of identity-sharing behavior in social network communities. Proceedings from The 2006 iDMAa and IMS Code Conference , Oxford, Ohio.

In light of current concerns regarding the protection of student identities, the researcher conducted a random survey of 200 undergraduate and graduate students (38 of whom responded) inquiring about participation in social network communities (SNCs) as well as attitudes concerning SNC involvement and online identity sharing. In the second part of the study, a disclosure matrix was crafted out of data gathered from participants' actual SNC profiles, which were accessed from an outsider perspective. Results indicated that 90% of undergrads were involved with Facebook (as compared to 44% of graduate students). Survey results were coded using Likert scales, and reflected a general feeling of doubt concerning the protection of their identity online (2.66), but were nevertheless okay with friends viewing this information (4.55). They were markedly less comfortable with the idea of strangers accessing this information (3.15). Stutzman cautions that SNC users should be wary of revealing sensitive information such as location, sexual orientation, and political status, and urges for greater discussion of the identity disclosure threats posed by SNCs. The study is limited by its very small sample size, but nevertheless provides incentive for the incorporation of identity disclosure concerns in future analysis, and also prompted me to ask the following questions: How is "stalking", a commonly used term in Facebook discourse, actively defined? What sort of activities and degree of involvement are deemed acceptable by today's norms?.