Anonymity of the internet
This is an example of how easily the internet can be utilized for abusive and cruel opinions or topics made and expressed by internet users who typically hide behind the facade of anonymity that internet presumably allows.
This facebook group ‘Cancer is funny because people die’ is simply one of many alike facebook groups that tend to draw on issues that are widely sensitive and plain hurtful BUT yet viral.
The creator of this page, I’m sure isn’t likely to express this particular view about cancer patients to someone who perhaps actually has cancer; that’s where the power of the internet is emphasised because it’s an opportunity for the element of ‘hidden identity’ to really come into play.
(Another exmaple)
Internet Anonymity
Through research I have collected a range of different opinions, ideologies and attitudes towards the battle over identity on the World Wide Web.
“A combination of a false sense of anonymity and the idea that everything digital is "not authentic" makes creating abusive groups, sending hate mail and commenting abusive messages etc that much easier.”
“Internet users are familiar with forming a single public identity that's a collective version of their offline past, the online present and their combined future...”
"Before Facebook and Google became the giants of the web, the most famous online adage was, "on the internet, no one knows you're a dog". It seems the days when people were allowed to be dogs are coming to a close.”
“The old web, a place where identity could remain separate from real life, is rapidly disappearing from the computer screen. According to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook's chief operating officer, and Richard Allan, its director of policy in Europe, a critical mass of people only want online interactions supported by "authentic" identity. And this, say critics, will have irrevocable effects on the openness of the web.”
“The pursuit of authenticity is creeping into the heart of most social media models and in the current internet landscape is playing an important role in how we engage with one another and with web content. For many people, Facebook and Google products are the sum total of their web interaction, and the value in creating a platform that provides confidence that a person is who they say they are, rather someone pretending to be them, is critical to a social network's success.”
“Within this model, authentic identity is non-anonymous. Facebook profiles and Google IDs are tied to a person's real name and real connections, and increasingly to their activities across cyberspace. Users are familiar with logging into other services using Facebook or Google IDs, forming a single public identity that's a collective version of their offline past, the online present and their combined future.”
“Facebook also believes authenticity is linked to a person's photo stream, which is why it has just paid $1bn for the photo-sharing service Instagram. "Pictures speak a thousand words””
"We went from a web that was interest-driven, and then we transitioned into a web where the connections were in-person, real-life friendship relationships,"."
The millions who have gone online over the past decade want a safe place where they won't experience bad behaviour, have their identities stolen or be duped by impostors.
Nicknames and pseudonyms, regardless of their longevity – and some have been in use for decades – are considered breaches of terms of service.
‘An online identity can be as permanent as an offline one: pseudonymous users often identify themselves in different social networks using the same account name. But because their handles aren't based on real names, they can deliberately delineate their identity accordingly, and reassert anonymity if they wish. Psychologists argue that this is valuable for the development of a sense of who one is, who one can be, and how one fits into different contexts.’
"The ability to be anonymous is increasingly important because it gives people control, it lets them be creative, it lets them figure out their identity and explore what they want to do, or to research topics that aren't necessarily 'them' and may not want tied to their real name for perpetuity,"
And so the ideological battle over online identity continues.
Our plot really wants to focus on this ‘online identity battle’ and how the internet is such an easy platform for impostors. Our protagonist in effect will be a victim of this.
POSTED BY TOSIN
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