Identity+Design+in+Cyberspace

All users of the Internet are authors //writing// their own description; //designing// every web page, chat window and //posting// in the way that 'they' choose to be perceived. Creating their very own, unique Identities to be exposes and expressed Online. These common etiquettes may be looked upon as a creation of a culture on its own.

A creation of a **//cyber – culture//**, one that employs the unique characteristic of freedom found over the Internet. Research has made evident that there exists an immense disparity between //face-to-face communication// and the way we '//broadcast//' ourselves on the World Wide Web. The identities that we **DESIGN** are to please different aspects of the web and what they are intended for...




 * ARE YOU PART OF THE CYBER-CULTURE?**

A number of Psychologists studying virtual communities; explore various aspects of online communication. The research has made evident that there exists an immense disparity between face-to-face communication and the way we broadcast ourselves on the //World Wide Web//. The constant principle that the Internet allows an individual to decide what information they want to post, //factual or facade//.

**EGO**

Study presents the observed action of a socially silent personality; a shy person. Paradoxically, the shy individual has a tendency to be more expressive online then in a face-to-face setting. Research holds the typing process responsible for this, for it deems to be far from a social situation.
 * The Alter Ego**

SEX
Sex is also often discussed with ease online, principally due to the lack of importance of physical attractiveness. In today’s virtual dating game, businesses have thrived on the ‘digital identity’. Online dating services such as, [|lavalife.com], and [|MeetmeinToronto.com], have effectively marketed the ‘virtual self’. These services provide a platform where users may browse through a catalogue of profiles, choose one or more to interact with, and work towards building relationships. //The question is...are the identities of these profiles at all accurate?// Indisputably, they are not.
 * Sex Anyone?[[image:ident2.gif align="right"]]**

MAN or WOMAN
Issues such as gender switching have been noted fairly repetitively in studies of interaction through various forms of communication. Men and women invent false gender specification to inject or possibly avoid injection of sexuality from the opposite sexes. There are no structure to determine whether or not ones' gender is correct, which allows one to experiment with didn't forms of sexuality. It also presents a great opportunity to express yourself in a manner that the "real world" may sometime discriminate against. For females, it is a chance to express their intellects without the discrimination from sexist radicals that may otherwise shut down their opinions in the real world before they get a chance to say a single word. By the simple change of a name or a conscious choice of an avatar, people have a chance to be someone completely different, barring no gender restrictions.
 * [[image:ident3.gif align="left"]]Who //REALLY// are you?**

A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE
An enormous concern for many years has pertained to the main subjects of Legalities, Online Fraud and Identity Theft. Hal Abelson and Lawrence Lessig; Professors at the MIT, are fighting a Pending Federal Digital and Electronic Signature Legislation. Concerns present that “Currently there is no generic system for identification in cyberspace. It is not possible to absolutely identify an entity or to accurately tell whether an object has a specific characteristic.” [2001, Abelson and Lessig] It has become a controversial issue for the user to solely create their identity, not having to provide any documentation for its legitimacy. On the other hand, it is argued that the creation of these fabricated identities have provided the chance for users to interact with those that they would have never interacted with in the real world.
 * All Rise...**



Cyberspace allows for an individual to create their own characteristics, manufacture a personality and ideally structure their own //digital identity//; allowing them to explore and express themselves in a way they do not in the real-world. Whether it's the idea of Sigmund Freud's theory of the //id, ego or superego//... the users is ultimately the sole Designer of his or her Cyber Finger Print. This definitely fulfils the dream of Tim Berners Lee, (creator of the World Wide Web) of a

**Work Cited[[image:ident5.gif align="right"]]**

 * Abelson Hal, Lessig Lawrence. [1998] Digital Identity in Cyberspace. Online at:  Consulted on Nov 15 2006.
 * Haas Juergen [2005] What is Cyberspace. Online at:  Consulted on Nov 3 2006.
 * Homes Leonard [2005] How is Online Communication Different? Online at: http://mentalhealth.about.com/cs/computerstuff/a/onlinecom.htm?terms=cyberspace+identity Consulted on Nov 18 2006
 * Lopez-Martinez Blanca [2001] Identity in Cyberspace. Online at:  Consulted on Oct 28th 2006
 * Soules Marshall [2001] Identity in Cyberspace. Online at: <[|http://www.mala.bc.ca/~soules/media113/netself.htm]> Consulted on Oct 28th 2006
 * Suler, J.R [2002] Identity Management in Cyberspace. Online at:  Consulted on Nov 19 2006
 * Warschauer Mark [2001] Online Communication. Online at:  Consulted on Nov 18 2006
 * Weber Deanna [2001] Subjectivity and Gender – Identity in Cyberspace. Online at:  Consulted on Oct 28th 2006
 * All images designed by Mike Rybinski