com125 assignment 6: identity

An online identity is a social identity that users rely on to differentiate themselves from all the other faceless characters in the virtual community (Online Identity, 2008). Unfortunately I have never, and probably never will, create an online identity in a virtual community; however, I am aware of some of the virtual communities that currently exist on the Internet such as Second Life and World of Warcraft. In the disembodied world of a virtual community, identity is ambiguous (Donath, 1996). Participants are freed from their own bodies and are allowed to take on an entirely new identity via an electronic persona. I understand that these games serve as an escape from reality for those who are obviously unhappy with their current lives. What I don’t understand is how so many people can become addicted to something that is not even real. When The Sims was first released I remember putting in several hours on the computer each day trying to make my family “happy” and build the coolest house on the block. Fortunately, I soon realized though that this was a total waste of my time. The amount of hours that I spent on the computer had absolutely no benefit to me outside of the game.

Here is a trailer for the movie Second Skin. For those of you who have never heard of this movie, it is a 2008 documentary about the real people who populate online virtual worlds in games like World of Warcraft and Second Life (Second Skin, 2008). You can also visit their website for more information and videos.



I suppose that if I had to name one online community that I am involved in it is Amazon. I recently created a seller account so that I could sell my used textbooks online. When I was prompted to create a domain name for myself I knew that I wanted to create something that sounded professional and did not have my name included in it. To appeal to the environmentally conscious users I chose the name of “recycleyourtextbooks.” I assume that my choice was beneficial because I sold almost all of my books within a month and most of them sold for more than what was the lowest price available. I suppose that my buyers thought that I was a more credible source since my seller name sounded more credible. Through my sales I have earned positive seller feedback and in return have developed a positive reputation on the site.

With online sites like Amazon it is always important that you take the proper precautious when releasing your personal and financial information online. Since my unfortunate encounter with identity theft on eBay, I always make sure that I log out of my account and that I never use the “remember me” settings. I know that this does not assure my safety but it gives me a better piece of mind knowing that I am doing what I can to minimize the chance of having my identity stolen again.

References:
Donath, J.S. (1996). Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community. Retrieved on October 2, 2008 from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

Online Identity (2008). In Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved on October 2, 2008 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Online_identity&oldid=108207999

"Second Skin" (2008) Retrieved on October 2, 2008 from http://www.secondskinfilm.com