WEEK 3. Topic 2 general points.

I think an important point to consider is just how different the identities online we are considering are to those IRL. It’s true that the mask of the internet does allow for some extreme cases; obviously cases of paedophiles posing as youngsters etc etc. However, in my research, and reading other’s blogs, it seems that the majority of the internet isn’t used like this. The message boards we have looked at, mostly, haven’t been about forming strong identity, rather discussing shared interests-music, particularly. Here it may be true that people are guilty of playing up to some extent; but how far is this from what happens in real life? Wearing clothes, saying things, and liking/doing things all to fit in and look good.

Because of the extreme cases mentioned above, it seems any kind of online Identity play is frowned upon and regarded as unethical, but I think that in most cases, there is nothing unreasonable or unethical about online identity experimentation and many cases show it to be a positive thing. The quote and explanation in the lecture notes by Nicholas Negroponte:
‘True personalization is upon us’, summarises this. Suggesting that we may be moving online but the advancing technology simply allows us to do what we do IRL somewhere else; nothing fundamental has changed.