Another one about privacy
In my ongoing exploration of privacy on web 2.0, I stumbled over a simple yet potentially problematic issue, and that is the ownership of anonymity. Let me explain..
With the class blogs that we have started, some have chosen to use an alias, or a pseudonym. While not typical, in this class, we know their real identity. So, just over the last week of commenting on other blogs, I have had to actively read my comments to ensure that nothing I said would expose their real identities. In one scenario, I knew her to be an educator because of a face-to-face class. After reviewing one of her posts, I wanted to know more about its implications in her professional capacity. However, nowhere on her blog states she was an educator, so I refrained from mentioning it. In another instance, I had used a person's real name when greeting him. However, upon review, I remembered that he uses an alias for that very reason. Thus, I have to greet him by his pseudonym instead.
I am trying to think of an offline scenario that could set some precedence, and the only one that comes to mind is social gatherings. Over time, there have been some norms/rules that have been established about what is good etiquette and good discussion topics. In a large group setting, topics about hobbies, pop culture, and movies are good topics. Topics about work and school are sometimes frowned upon, but increasingly accepted. However, as the setting becomes more intimate, topics such as politics, personal likes/dislikes, and even trips to the doctor could become conversation.
So my question is a simple one, is the onus on me, as a 'post-er', to be careful about what I say about someone else? Am I allowed to bring in one's external circumstances and background into the conversation? Or knowing that potentially the whole world is watching, means I should not? Or, just by being on a social platform, means that you are accepting that risk. While you may not formally be a public figure, you live by the same types of rules.
Let me know what you guys think!
Josh, out.
With the class blogs that we have started, some have chosen to use an alias, or a pseudonym. While not typical, in this class, we know their real identity. So, just over the last week of commenting on other blogs, I have had to actively read my comments to ensure that nothing I said would expose their real identities. In one scenario, I knew her to be an educator because of a face-to-face class. After reviewing one of her posts, I wanted to know more about its implications in her professional capacity. However, nowhere on her blog states she was an educator, so I refrained from mentioning it. In another instance, I had used a person's real name when greeting him. However, upon review, I remembered that he uses an alias for that very reason. Thus, I have to greet him by his pseudonym instead.
I am trying to think of an offline scenario that could set some precedence, and the only one that comes to mind is social gatherings. Over time, there have been some norms/rules that have been established about what is good etiquette and good discussion topics. In a large group setting, topics about hobbies, pop culture, and movies are good topics. Topics about work and school are sometimes frowned upon, but increasingly accepted. However, as the setting becomes more intimate, topics such as politics, personal likes/dislikes, and even trips to the doctor could become conversation.
So my question is a simple one, is the onus on me, as a 'post-er', to be careful about what I say about someone else? Am I allowed to bring in one's external circumstances and background into the conversation? Or knowing that potentially the whole world is watching, means I should not? Or, just by being on a social platform, means that you are accepting that risk. While you may not formally be a public figure, you live by the same types of rules.
Let me know what you guys think!
Josh, out.
You know my first impression after reading your blog?--U r a very considerate person! In this class, I guess everybody kind of knows who is who even though someone uses a pseudonym. We respect that and pretend we don't know. In this class, I don't really mind saying something that may reveal my identity.
ReplyDeleteIf not in class, it is likely that others may not know the person you know. Anyway, if the person chooses to not reveal the real name, better be careful in comments.
I agree with this and I personally think that it makes communication a bit trickier. I would say that it is most respectful to put the onus on the poster to use caution. If a user is under a pseudonym, I try to avoid discussing anything that may make them identifiable. I think that the use of pseudonyms may act as a slight communication barrier, but I don't personally think it is a lot to overcome. Some of Dr. Dennen's research touches on blogger identity and the user's 'name' is the first attribute that people see and make judgement on. In the Blogademe environment a lot of people use pseudonyms and they sometimes indicate gender, field of study, academic position, or attitudes. It was interesting to read about the experience of one user, 'Psycgirl' that was uncomfortable with anonymous bloggers leaving comments on her blog. She stated that she was freaked out that someone found her and she had no idea who they were. I suppose that it all depends on the user's privacy concerns and comfort levels. Even if you do everything you can to try to protect your identity online, there are still people out there that can figure out your identity if they want to. I think that there may be an influence on trust here and I would be interested in exploring this topic further. I personally think that it is easier to build trust in the online environment with a user that has a real name rather than a pseudonym. What do you think?
DeleteThis is an interesting perspective!! I better be careful as well.
ReplyDelete