courses :: mas 963   the virtual society :: judith donath   identity deception is far easier when communicating over a very limited medium. how does this affect the type of society that evolves in this environment? Each of these papers examines a different aspect of online identity formation in varying environments. The extent to which deception is "allowed" or tolerated in these virtual structures places a large role in how these online societies operate. Reid examines MUD environments, primarily concentrating on those in the fantasy realm and highlights the issue of gender as provoking most debate regarding identity deception. Within this virtual realm of fantasy and role-playing, the idea of playing with and experimenting with gender is not necessarily seen as a definitively bad thing. She describes how MUD characters "need not be of any fixed gender or appearance", where gender, sexuality, identity and corperality are placed beyond the plane of certainty." This lack of fixity allows MUD users to play with the cultural meanings and social significance's typically attached to different bodies in the real world - it is not simply a case of users trying to escape from their real bodies. Reid recounts both positive and negative experiences and levels of comfort with cross-gendering as described by MUD users. For some, it is only with this issue of gender, so closely paralleled in the real world, that the issue of deception is problematized. Some players feel uncomfortable interacting with someone of undefined gender and are openly hostile towards those who experiment with cross-gendering. Other players use the virtual terrain to experiment with and attempt to identify what it would be like to be "the other." Reid finishes by concluding her argument on a upbeat note in favour of the gender-hopping cyborg, who exists in a virtual world that pertains to allow such experimentation. Donath's paper concentrates on Usenet groups, which are largely non-fiction, information sharing "bulletin boards". Within this realm, more measures would appear to be taken both to verify and to vilify the alleged identity of contributors. Structures exist within this virtual society that aid identity recognition, reputation building and punishment for deceptive offenders. There is some leeway allowed for deception, but not to the extent exemplified by the MUDs described by Reid. Within certain newsgroups, pseudo-anonymity or complete anonymity might be required when the subject matter is very sensitive(depression, abuse etc.) and contributors wish to remain anonymous to protect against real-world repercussions owing to their posts. Another scenario regarding those who work within the confines of an institution/place of employment where using newsgroups is discouraged or not permitted, might also necessitate the use of an anonymous remailer or account. However, the attitude towards anonymity within the overall framework of this community is generally negative, thus leading to measures being implemented to aid identity confirmation(FAQs) and punish offenders(kill files, plonking). Kollock focuses his work on the development of online informal markets and the reputation reporting systems that have emerged as a result of this. Unlike the previous two examples, there is no room for deception in Usenet markets and web barter sites. These structures can only truly succeed if a strong practice of trust can be developed and maintained within the system itself. Kollock outlines a number of strategies commonly used to address issues of accountability, such as frequent communication, obtaining full details on a potential trader(name, address, phone number) and verifying their authenticity, testing email addresses and judging the reliability of domain names. However, such measures are often not enough. He goes on to outline both negative and positive reputation systems, examining those implemented by institutionalized auction houses(eBay, Haggle) at length. What emerges here is that when money is exchanging hands, or items of value, and the exchange is taking place through an online system, that that particular system must have a comprehensive and secure method for dealing with identity deception, and an appropriate structure for dealing with offenders. how is some notion of identity maintained in the absence of the body - and how is it different than our day to day experience? Reid's descriptions of MUD communities demonstrate how through textual declarations of identity users seek to define their character. Descriptions often tend towards the very beautiful and the very "super-powered" owing to many of the cultural mores and myths regarding what constitutes beauty and power in the real world being invoked to describe oneself in the virtual. Having declared an identity, particularly a gendered one, it is significant to back up this "given" with appropriate "given offs"(language, tone, attitude) in order to maintain some semblance of consistency, if one is to succeed in one's adopted role. Donath identifies a number of features of a typical post as providing clues to a person's identity. There are what could be termed "Givens"- as described by Erving Goffman: · The writer's account name/email address yields contextual clues about the writer (country of origin, within an institution or large corporation etc.) and about the reliability of the header information(if writer is using an anonymous remailer or free email address) · Signature files are described as the most deliberate identity signal, often affiliating the writer with a particular subgroup or displaying the url of his/her homepage The contents of the posting itself could be considered using Goffman's concept of "Given Off's". The voice, vocabulary and grammer of the posting can lend authority and strength to a poster's identity as well as potentially destroying the reputation of a posturing contributor if the tone or language is not consistent over time. In the real world, it is difficult to assume a totally new identity, similar to the way one can switch identities in the online world. If you provoke, upset and ultimately seek to destroy a community and are subsequently caught out in the virtual world, you can often return again to the same community under a different guise and begin your troublemaking afresh. Such a scenario would be difficult to imagine in the real world. In last weeks Goffman reading, I was most interested in his ideas about controlling social situations. In the real world, physical presence can often determine the extent to which a person can assume control of a situation or take the lead and direct a conversation. Some people have much more "presence" then others, be it physical stature, striking features or maybe flamboyant/elegant/expensive clothes. Apart from the latter attribute, it is relatively difficult to change your physical size and features in the real world. However, in an online environment you can create a commanding presence for yourself based on how you describe yourself or how you design your representative avatar. what effect do changes in the medium have - how is identity in a text-based world different than in a graphical one, in a synchronous vs. an asynchronous space? In some ways I think identity is more malleable in a text-based world as the "idea" of another person or user must be imagined based solely on the descriptions given. Attaching an image/picture to your posts as outlined below can also be instrumental in providing additional clues about a user's identity and going even further, the creation of a representative avatar can help contextualize what a user means when he/she says that they are tall/have red hair/is wearing crazy clothes. The more immediate environment of synchronous communication allows for greater display of spontaneous wit, humour, sarcasm etc. which can make interaction a more lively affair and tell you a considerable amount about the 'true' nature of another user. However, the ability to verify someone's identity and to check back over their previous postings or through an archive of their contributions in an asychronous environment is useful when the subject being discussed or the particular context demands that you shouldn't simply take the poster's current claims at face value. When the issue being discussed is a sensitive or controversial one, an asynchronous space can allow for a more considered response which can help avoid against causing offense. how can interface designers influence the way identity is established in an online environment? Donath points out the significance of the design of a virtual environment in her paper as being fundamental to how people communicate and imagine each other online. "Whether or not you know that other people are present or privy to a conversation, whether you can connect an online identity to a real-world person, whether you have only a faint notion of the personalites of those around you or a vibrant and detailed impression - this is all determined by the design of the environment." She identifies the development of searchable newsgroup archives as helping users to create a fuller and more complex impression of their fellow contributors. Designers can stipulate that users submit a certain amount of definitive information before being granted access to a virtual community(name, email, url, status - student, professional, education etc.). Allowing users to associate certain images or sounds with their online identity can be useful in providing additional ancillary information about a new user seeking to establish his/her identity online. readings: judith donath. edentity and deception in the virtual community elizabeth reid. identity and the cyborg body peter kollock. the production of trust in online markets   back