Digital Identity: Who are you in cyberspace

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Digital Identity Who are you in cyberspace?

• Sarah Intellagirl Robbins
• March 7, 2007

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How Many Identities Do You Have?
Make a List
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The Process of Identity
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• Relationships mother, daughter, son, brother,
  second cousin once removed etc
• Professions student, waitress, teacher, ninja
• Activity football player, painter, wombat
  breeder
• Personality class clown, shy, sulking reject
• Style jock, pretty girl, Emo (aka sulking
  reject)

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But who are you really? Who do others think you
are? Are you in control of how Others see you?
Online?
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Personal website
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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My Space
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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Facebook
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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LinkedIn Professional Networking
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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Del.icio.us Social Bookmarking
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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Skype or other VOIP or IM Client
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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Photo or Media Sharing
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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Avatars
Relationship
Profession
Activity
Personality
Style
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• Is it possible that there is no difference
  between a character in a game and the virtual
  identity which we create in other digital spaces?

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Gees Three Identities

• Virtual Ones identity as a virtual character

• Real The identity of the user behind the
  character

• Projective The real as the virtual. The US we
  put in a character

Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach
Us About Learning and Literacy. New York
Palgrave. 2003.
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• Virtual Real Projective

Mechanics
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are the Message
Mechanics
Marshall McLuhan The Medium is the Message
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Mechanics
The tools of environment
that enable communication
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What are the
Geography
Auditory
Appearance
Face to Face
Actions
Telephone
Mechanics
Written
Emotive Action
Symbolic
Relationships
Real Life?
Of
What is
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Real

• existing or occurring as fact actual rather than
  imaginary, ideal, or fictitious
• being an actual thing having objective
  existence not imaginary
• genuine not counterfeit, artificial, or
  imitation authentic

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What are the
Mechanics
Second Life?
Of
What is
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Friends List
Relationships
MiniMap
Chat
Geography
Face to Face
Inventory
Appearance
Motion Controls
Emotive
Instant Messaging
Telephone
Building Tools
Media Controls
Camera Controls
Symbolic
Auditory
Written
Chat Window
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Is Identity in Second Life Real?