I previously blogged before about the concept of negotiating an online identity for yourself and yesterday in class we were lectured on the concept some more. Our discussion led us to think about the way a person communicates their identity in the physical world, versus online. In the physical world (“rl” or real life), we assume that the way one presents him or herself is an accurate representation of who they really are. We take cues from clothing, hairstyle, the way they walk, and more. In the context of MMORPG (mass multiplayer online role playing games like Runescape or World of Warcraft), the same cues cannot be used. People of all ages and of all descents come together online for a common goal – usually to advance the user’s account in one way or another. There are many users addicted to these kinds of games, spending countless hours online and growing friendships with others who do the same. But your physical body is missing in the online world – how are you supposed to determine the kind of person you’re talking? In the case of MMORPGs, how are you supposed to trust the people you're spending countless hours and energy with, advancing your accounts? According to Prof. Boutros, you generally use conversations to determine one’s identity online, taking cues from the way the other users speak about things. But again, how are we supposed to trust that the person we are conversing with is actually who they claim to be? For example, I am blogging under the pseudonym Alexis Woods, but that is not my real name. And I could perhaps create a different character for myself as the author of this blog, but you might not realize.
There’s always a person behind that computer screen, so how do you get to know that person? How do you come to trust their character when you only interact within the so-called virtual community? And do you even need to get to know them? These are all questions posed by scholars of the “virtual identity”. I found that this blogger defines a virtual (or digital) identity very well – as being, “the online representation of an individual within a community, as adopted by that individual and/or projected by others. An individual may have multiple digital identities in multiple communities”
Without you realizing it, users like you and I have been negotiating our virtual identities for some time now. Doing things like photoshopping the pictures we post on Facebook, editing the comments that are posted on those pictures, and even being an active user of a certain website (obviously, Facebook in this example) are ways that a person can represent oneself. Some people restrict certain aspects of themselves from being shown online. Perhaps if you have a prosthetic limb and choose not to have it photographed, or you pose in the way that it would not get noticed – that person then communicates him or herself as someone that has four functioning limbs.
This made me think - how is this different from people who lead so-called “double lives” in reality or historically? Classic examples like Superman can be used, or an extreme example like a mother who works a second job as a nightwalker, but none of her friends and family know. What are the consequences of misrepresenting yourself in reality and are they different than editing your virtual identity?
There are many ways to grow trust online – bloggers use verifiable facts, eBay users have buyer/seller feedback ratings, MMORPG users join guilds and spend time working toward certain tasks with guild members, or you can merely grow to trust someone by conversing with them regularly. Once individuals figure out what they want to get out of their experience in the virtual community, they can determine the cues they need to look for in order to determine the identity of who they’re conversing with.
I read an article for another class by Chris Gray entitled “Sex Machines, Human Beings, In-Betweens” (2002). In this article, the author compares the example of people hiding or manipulating their genders online to the manipulation of gender when undergoing sexual reassignment surgery. This comparison helps create an awareness that for many individuals, gender is one part of their identity that is constructed. Even if you think you are interacting with a male in person, it could very easily be a prior female. The world has advanced to such a level of understanding regarding gender, sexuality and the technological advancements that can alter gender and sexuality, therefor individuals need to realize that bodies can be altered. Specifically, because this gender and body alteration allows a person to renegotiate their identity.
Now one must consider the significance of this gender alteration in the virtual community versus the physical world. I cannot equate the manipulation of one’s online gender to the sexual reassignment surgery of an individual’s physical body, as the author, Chris Gray did. When chatting online, many individuals do not share their personal information and may not give accurate information regarding their sexuality. As well, people playing videos games that interact with others can choose a character that is either male or female to play as. There are no real implications of someone thinking a player is male versus female, since the intention is to win the game. On the contrary, upon meeting someone in person (at a bar for example), there is a good possibility the intention can be to ‘pick them up’. In our current society, there is a large assumption with respect to gender that “what you see is what you get”... perhaps people will need to rethink that idea now.
Shifting back to your online or virtual identity – which aspects about getting to know a person matter? Which don’t? How do you come to trust a person you’re interacting with in the virtual community? And do you need do?
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