Summary
In the article, “Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community”, the author analyze how identity is established online and study the conditions and effects of identity deception by studying Usenet, an online community to share information. The author found that identity plays an important role on Usenet as it helps users establish a reputation and recognition of others as well as create a sense of community. However, while most users are truthful when creating their accounts, there are those who commit identity deception. These users can be categorized as trolls, impersonators, catfishers, and those who want to hide their identity. Thus, identity in the virtual world may help create a sense of unity but it can also be easily manipulated to fit one’s needs.
The article, “4chan and/b: An Analysis of Anonymity and Ephemerality in a Large Online Community”, focuses on two studies of online ephemerality and anonymity based on the discussion board /b/, a board known for its influential role in Internet culture, hosted on 4chan.org. The purpose of these two studies is to understand how /b/ succeeds by being anonymous and ephemeral, despite the assumption that user identity and data permanence are essential to online communities. The first study utilizes a large dataset of posts to quantify ephemerality in /b/ and found that the average lifespan was short, about 3.9 minutes, with most of the threads having no replies. The second study analyzes identity signals on 4chan and the alternative methods /b/ have used to create status and interactions. It was found that 90% of the posts were posted using the default name “Anonymous” and that instead of building a reputation, status was conveyed through the usage of textual, linguistic, and visual cues.
Reflection
In the virtual world, identity is essential yet untrustworthy. As seen in the first article, “Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community”, individuals can assume different personas with ease online. It is quite common for users on a site to create multiple accounts to serve as different roles. Additionally, some people see the internet as a place of opportunity to be who they can’t in reality; whether it’s as a different gender or a different personality. Furthermore, the flexibility of identity online can provide those who feel outcasted in reality a chance to fit in. In the second article, “4chan and/b: An Analysis of Anonymity and Ephemerality in a Large Online Community”, the authors mention that despite /b/ being completely anonymous, a sense of status is created through usage of slang and images. While in real life where multiple aspects like physical appearance and social connections can affect how people are perceived, online people are usually judged by the content they provide and the manner in which they provide it. Thus, if someone wanted to fit in on /b/, they would mostly need to be familiar with the lingo and how the site works.
However, there is a downside of being able to create a new identity online, in that it can cause people to believe there are no consequences to their actions online. It is common to find rude and obscene comments on sites like Youtube due to people thinking what they say can’t come back to get them. This can be seen with the rise of cyber bullying as people can easily say cruel things that they wouldn’t normally say in real life. Moreover, the ability to hide behind a fake persona allows for people to easily manipulate others as discussed in the first article, whether it’s playing with someone’s romantic feelings or purposely posting controversial things.
Questions
- Are the people who deceive online the same in real life?
- Should people be truthful about who they are online or do they have the right to be whoever they want to be?
- Do people prefer to be anonymous or do they need a sense of identity when online?
- What are the characteristics of a long lasting thread?
- Could the short lifespan of threads represent how on average people only care about topics for a short amount of time?
