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We represent ourselves and our cultures digitally by creating an online persona that does not necessarily reflect our real-world self. The most dominant form of representation is through avatars, it ranges from simple photos for an instant messenger program to the detailed 3D models of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games. Some users are opting to fully represent themselves with webcams and microphones. Apple’s newer laptops provide these two features built-in with software that utilizes these capabilities to increase usability and build a new level of interaction through easy to use video conferencing (apple.com).
The ideas and characteristics of cultures in the real world are easily transferable to the online world. Digital cultures are easier to build when there is a large offline counterpart, otherwise niche cultures take time to create and maintain. For example, mySpace.com was initially to promote an equal battlefield between independent and signed artists, but soon developed into a community portal site that becomes the next commercial friendster.com. It consequently loses its niche audience’s heritage because of corporate interference (BBC). Another facet to digital cultures is that we are able to meet with people with similar interest that may “polarize” (Sunstein quoted in Jacobs, 158) our view as we participate in the interactions of the virtual culture through visiting a site or becoming a contributor of content.
The forerunner of broadcasting oneself is easily the choice of a screen name or username. While names aren’t as descriptive, if a reputation develops the general online community can associate the name to a particular phenomenon. Another way one can broadcast oneself is to build a reputation through text and behaviours being analogous to an online celebrity (Weinberger). Askaninja.com is a podcast that would have been unheard of in 2002, but with the abundance of media-enabled devices like the video iPod, self-publishing sites like YouTube and a weekly updated website, Askaninja.com created a reputation of a comical “ninja” response to user emails, a striking similarity to Strong Bad of homestarrunner.com.
Another dominant form of representing oneself is using avatars, a visual representation through the selection of image(s), to reflect their personality. Sherry Turkle explains that users can experience a “disinhibition effect”, where the user is more open to express their inner most feelings, emotions and experiences that would otherwise is suppressed in the real world (Turkle 1995). Coincidentally, the identity can be the truth, but other times can be the fabrication of one’s imagination which brings confusion to other users and where trust is the key virtue in the online world.
For every community there is always going to be some sort of a leader or power user that is highly looked up to or infamously known because of their behaviours. The hierarchy is prevalent in forums where users having a large number of posts are regarded as a sense power. French Philosopher, Michel Foucault, explains that power is dependent on knowledge with the paradoxical twist that power shapes knowledge (Fuery and Fuery, 7). Following Foucault’s theory, how one shares oneself online gives them the power over their audience’s perception, yet leave them with little knowledge of a user’s real self.
The digital realm allowed me to perform many representations of myself as I categorize each representation based on my personal relationship with the people I interact with offline.
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General Internet Population
This first group of people only view me as how I portray myself online through my behaviour and text. My display picture, is their only visualization of myself.
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Niche Communities/Forums
The majority of this group may only know me by name and/or how I interact with them online. I am viewed as a person of reputation and not personal reasons.
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Family & Friends
This group is able to view all of the multiple representations ranging from personal activities, academic orientation, and professional work.
Evolution
As my representations of self through my communities have changed over the years as I try to get this group to notice me and to distinguish myself from the sea of people online. I’ve usually abstracted myself to images of Japanese animation characters or computer generated abstract fractals images, but recently moved onto representing myself through pictures of myself.
I have used blogs since I was in high school and as time passed, there were countless times where my views and opinions impacted a post from any users. While they may have no direct altering of one’s perception of self, I believe that they have rethought their stance of the issue at hand. This ranged from trivial rebuttals from their posted results from a quiz to the extreme of posting an entry that explicitly criticizes an individual for their actions at a particular social event.
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