Identity Management

I really enjoyed this article. Identity in the realm of cyberspace is one that is ever-changing and extremely dependent on the person and the cyber-sphere of the moment. I like this idea though because it means none the questions posed in the article can ever truly be answered, just hypothesized.

In the article, Suler mentions that certain people go online with a relatively clear idea of how they want to portray themselves. For instance, the woman I worked with last year who played Second Life created her avatar with full intention of not looking anything like her real self. When I asked her why she played Second Life, she praised the fact that she could be, do and say whatever she wanted - completely unashamed of the stark differences between herself and her avatar.

This freedom does serve as a type of healer, just as Suler mentioned in the article. Perhaps a socially awkward or anxious person could interact with others behind the safety of their computer screen and slowly find confidence in themselves because they are so "witty" in the chat room.

"Some people prefer synchronous communication - like chat - which reflects the spontaneous, free-form, witty, and temporally "present" self," Suler states. This is something that I agree with. I love the written language and I also love being able to think about what I'm going to say before I speak. Chatting online with friends allows both parties to become much more witty in their responses, and though the conversation differs slightly from "f2f" conversation, it has its own type of appeal.

"...whether people will want to use audio and video tools. Do they want others to experience their identity as if it were a f2f meeting, with voice and body language? Or will they prefer the alternative communication pathways in order to express their identity in new and different ways?" When I read this question, I thought of myself. While many people I know are engaging in video chat, like skype, I am still afraid to video chat. It's not that I am hiding behind anything because I only chat with my friends anyway. It's just something I feel strange about - talking aloud to my computer when for so long it's been a silent exchange between the two of us.

All in all, great article. It posed many questions that I often think about, especially in regards to identity and cyberspace.