Question: "Discuss the arguments for and against having more than one online identity".
Picture
source:
http://brandconfessions.com/profiles/blogs/5-tips-for-managing-your-social-media-identity
I personally don’t think that Licklider (1963)
could imagine that his idea for connecting several computers to make it easier to
pass scientific and military information will grow later into this enormous network
called the Internet. Demanding grows in popularity of online activities has
lead people to create their “digital identities”. However, what is this “Digital
identity”? This term is used to describe personas that individuals use across
social networks in which they are represented (Williams et al.,
2010) .
However, how smart is it to have your
information be constantly available online and what are the pros and cons of
this situation? Below you can find a list of both, my personal and public
opinions on this question:
Pros:
- The first and the most important one is obviously the communication. Social networks allow people to communicate from anywhere to anyone, in any numbers.
- Let’s not forget about online identities created in LinkedIn, which helps a lot people find jobs, share knowledge and companies to advertise and promote themselves. One of my friends got his job offer via LinkedIn, the company found him itself.
- Real-time information sharing and News cycle speed have increased,
you get news about others and the events much faster
Picture source: http://gearpatrol.com/2009/06/17/be-a-better-man-in-30-days-day-16-know-how-to-manage-your-online-identity-image/
Cons:
- The face-to-face connection is losing its weight. I still do remember my first day in the UK, when I was coming back to my accommodation and there were two teenage girls in front of me, and they were going to say goodbye to each other. I was quite surprised to hear: “See you on Facebook” instead of “See you tomorrow/later”.
- Time-waster. As it can be understood from the name, the vast majority
of people do use social networks wisely
- Identity fraud. This can happen as anyone can create a false
identity and pose as someone else
Picture
source: http://brandconfessions.com/profiles/blogs/5-tips-for-managing-your-social-media-identity
What is my
opinion? This
might sound strange to hear this from a young person who considers himself a “Digital
Resident” of the Web and a person whose major is in Information Technology in
Organisation, but I will be honest and say that I’m quite against putting your
entire life online to be visible by others. Yes, online communication is good,
it removes borders between countries and nations; Yes, it allows people to
share their happiness and pain with others and Yes, those who are afraid to
speak in public can have their freedom online to express their opinions as they
want. However, all of these, and more, must be to some extend!
If my young cousin spends his whole time
online and doesn't know who is Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, George
Washington, Shakespeare, etc., this is not acceptable; if people spend more
time online rather than with those who dedicated their lives to you (relatives,
parents, etc.), this is not acceptable; if people know more about you than they
should and can use this against you, this is not acceptable.
I saw this video below nearly one year ago
and always used it as an argument when we debate with my friends on this topic.
It does worth watching it. And I will just summarize with the last words from
this video: “Your entire life is online, and it can be used against you. Be vigilant!”
And last but not least, as an IT person I
would be happy to share information about some useful and free softwares and
techniques that can help you remain anonymous on the Internet:
- ToR – The Union
Router (https://www.torproject.org/), is basically a free software network
that uses a set of relay nodes to hide the original source of the traffic
- Use
anonymous VPN/Proxy service (http://www.hidemyass.com/), such as HideMyAss, which similarly to ToR will hide the source of the
incoming data
- And finally, spoof your IP source address, which in a more understandable way means changing your IP address .
REFERENCES
- Cosmato, D., 2013. Love to know social networking. [Online] Available at: http://socialnetworking.lovetoknow.com/Advantages_and_Disadvantages_of_Social_Networking [Accessed 22 February 2014].
- Ibraz, A., 2010. Fundamentals of Computing. [Online] Available at: http://mason.gmu.edu/~aibraz/disadvantages.html [Accessed 22 February 2014].
- Joel, P. & Charlotta, W., 20010. Network anonymity. Project. Sweden: Information Security Course Linköpings universitet.
- Murdoch, S.J. & Danezis, G., 2005. Low-cost traffic analysis of ToR. Security and Privacy, 1(1), pp.183-95.
- Williams, S., Fleming, S., Lundqvist, K. & Parslow, P., 2010. Understanding your digital identity. Learning Exchange, 1(1), pp.1-6.
Great blog post and thank you very much for the IT tips. I thought you used the pictures and videos very well to break up the post and illustrate the content.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your point about if someone reveals to much about their true identity it could be used for negative purposes. Obviously there is the very real problem of online identity theft - people failing to use effective passwords and privacy settings to protect their data leading to people appropriating their identity. The most worrying part is that many people share a huge portion of their lives online; details such as your birthplace or pet names, inconspicuously shared when fleshing out your biography could later be used by a hacker to impersonate you online or on the phone to a bank answering security questions. It is precisely this worry that has some arguing that it is time for a complete overhaul of the 'security question' system - http://www.banktech.com/risk-management/why-bank-security-questions-need-an-over/240154506
I personally I am happy to share my live online in moderation. Personal details such as my address, telephone number and any financially related details I do not share online using social media - even through my facebook account which I reserve for personal communication and has quite strict privacy settings. However, as you have pointed out, sharing some details of your life online can be beneficial - the example of LinkedIn perhaps the most notable. Though only My 'connections' can see my full profile on LinkedIn - I am unsure how comfortable I am with having references on my profile for everyone to read - it feels like I am perhaps exposing myself too much... I digress!
I wanted to ask you about your online experience - is it similar to mine - do you adopt multiple identities between different services for different purposes? Or do you tend to use a more minimalist approach -sharing as little personal information as possible across your entire web existence? If so, do you think this is a hindrance in terms of developing your personal 'brand' and employability?
Hi!
ReplyDeleteReally enjoyed your blog post; I like that you focused on the advantages and disadvantages of openly sharing information online for others to view. Additionally, I think your post is well laid out and easy to read and weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of having multiple online profiles.
Have you thought about how authenticity and anonymity may contribute to this discussion? It could be argued that having an authentic online identity as opposed to being an anonymous user may significantly decrease the amount of undesirable occurrences online such as racism, fraud, cyberbullying, trolling and in extreme cases, paedophilia
Check out this post ( http://shirleyayres.wordpress.com/2012/02/20/trust-anonymity-and-authenticity/ ) where the author discusses the advantages and disadvantages of using a pseudonym for personal posts on social networks such as blogs and Twitter. In my opinion, posts with a known and recognised author are more reliable compared to anonymous posters.
I like how you’ve used your personal experience to highlight online behaviour on social networking websites and how some users share too much information. I read this the following article; http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1354515/Teacher-sacked-posting-picture-holding-glass-wine-mug-beer-Facebook.html ; which illustrates how ‘open’ information that others can easily access may affect employability.
I like the way Laura ( http://laurajhiggins.wordpress.com/2014/02/23/is-your-digital-footprint-under-your-control/ ) refers to the internet is a ‘playground’ where users can pick and choose how much information is readily available to others and if they wish to create more than one profile online; interacting, sharing, engaging and networking with those that we want to.
Have you thought about the pros and cons of having multiple online personas? In my own life, since searching for a 12 month placement in industry, I have made my Facebook private so potential employers have a decreased access to my private life. Additionally, I have a ‘closed’ Twitter where I share my personal life and photos and interact with friends, and an ‘open’ account, where I connect with other marketers, companies and entrepreneurs. Do you have more than one online profile?
Hi Eldar,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your views with us and particularly your IT tips. I also thought you made brilliant use of media to illustrate your points.
I wanted to talk a bit about the point you mentioned on online security and sharing too much online. This is a huge issue in today’s society with the prevalence of online services. Many people are not security-wise when using the internet and even fewer people effectively use privacy settings to protect their information. In my opinion, one of the greatest problems is that a lot of people do not realise the importance of the information they are sharing – a whimsical, anecdotal or throwaway remark about your favourite pet or where you were born might be used to assume your identity online or via the telephone to contact your bank and access your funds. Some people are now arguing as a consequence banks need to start updating their security question protocol to protect against this : http://www.banktech.com/risk-management/why-bank-security-questions-need-an-over/240154506. Even more worrying is the easy with which identities can be stolen online – this article shows that "stealing another's identity requires no professional hacking experience, just common sense." http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/thinking-tech/how-to-steal-an-identity-in-seven-easy-steps/.
I personally am very careful with the information I share online, even on Facebook which I reserve for personal connections and where I use tight privacy measures, I don’t give out my address or telephone number.
As you have mentioned there are advantages to be had from sharing some of your information online – notably in a professional framework with services such as LinkedIn. I don’t know if you use LinkedIn, I have been using it for a while and although it is only my ‘connections’ who can see my entire profile I still feel somewhat uneasy about having so much about myself online for ‘everyone’ to see – particularly with employer references I have up there. What strategy is it you personally adopt online? Obviously you are very much against sharing too much information but where do you draw the line? Do you have ‘multiple identities’ online? I personally very much believe in Chris Poole idea that people should utilise multiple online identities both anonymous and identified that reflects our prismatic nature and behaviour (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3Zs74IH0mc). Do you agree with this philosophy or are you more into the Mark Zuckerburg train of thought that “having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.” (http://venturebeat.com/2010/05/13/zuckerberg-privacy/) ?
Francesca
Hi Eldar!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your blog! I really liked your subtitled and bullet pointed layout. It easily informs readers and draws attention to the key issues regarding multiple online personalities. Also, your story of overhearing two girls saying ‘see you on Facebook’ after meeting one another made me realise the extent to which our online identities have become so authentic and integral to our real life personas. I have to confess that some of my new friendships have also been cemented on social media, maybe indicating the impact an authentic web persona and lack of internet anonymity has on my everyday life.
In your list of cons you stated how identity fraud is a threat of having an effective online presence, stating that ‘this can happen as anyone can create a false identity and pose as someone else (Ibraz, 2010).’ I’d like to refer you to a video I saw on one of our peer’s blog (http://joyisaac.wordpress.com/2014/02/17/online-identity-privacy-and-security/). Joy Isaac introduced me to the idea of ‘catfishing’, something I was previously unaware of. I believe cases of ‘catfishes’ unfortunately offer real-life examples of this issue you discussed. Have you ever had any experiences with identity fraud online? What are your opinions on ‘catfishing’ and other similar scenarios? I think this is a real issue with visible online identities as it makes social media users vulnerable to lies, manipulation and potentially dangerous situations. I’ve come to consider whether more could be done by social networking sites should take more responsibility for ‘catfishing’ issues – maybe automatically private profiles to prevent the ease of identity fraud.
I enjoyed reading you blog and I look forward to your future posts!
Eveline
#UOSM2008
Hi Evi,
DeletePleasure to read your comment, thanks a lot for a positive feedback, it is very encouraging. Thanks a lot for the video as well, and I read his blog as well. It was quite scary video :) Yes, I did have an experience, but actually it happened to one of the friends of mine. So, our group in University have a found a girl that was chatting to us all, but she was interested in my friend much more :). We were group chatting for more than two weeks (around 10 people) and she was actually flirting with him and have assigned him a date. As it was found, the girl texting us was actually our classmate (a boy) who was joking :D That was very surprising and it is similar to the Catfishing trailer we all saw.
As you asked also my personal opinion, I will just say that I'm frightened, because there is noway you can check whether the person you are contacting with is real him or her. "On the Internet, nobody knows you’re a dog"
What about you? Did you ever came up to any cases of Catfishing?
Regards, Eldar
Hey there :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well presented and highly accessible piece which does well to detail the risks of excessive social networking.
Having said that I have to be critical also and I’m not sure if this piece answers the question. You seem to be arguing the extent to which one should engage with one specific online persona, rather than if they should have multiple online personalities. This may just be a case of us reading the question and source material differently but the angle I took with my blog was a debate around whether an individual is entitled to have anonymity on top of their Facebook presence.
Having said that I thought your points were very good and I can’t recommend this YouTube video highly enough if you enjoyed the social media future seer. I like this one as some people get genuinely angry when, as you’ve written here, they don’t really have any right to. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P_0s1TYpJU
Hi George,
DeleteIt is nice to read your comment here, mate. Thanks a lot for your criticism, my pleasure to read it, as it helps me to improve in future.
I will be honest and agree that I haven't completely covered the topic. When I had a look on others blogs I have realised that I should better speak more about having more than one online identity, rather than what is the online identity itself.
For me personally, problem with having more than one online identity is the DATA INCONSISTENCY, because I think you can have different information on different accounts, and if you want to change something it will take a lot of time, and most probably you will forget about one or two your online identities. That is what happens to me sometimes.
Thanks a lot once more time, George, ,you feedback is quite useful. Hope to see your comments on the next blogs.
Regards, Eldar.