Blog 5: Internet Identity

One distinct feature of communicating on the internet is having the ability to conceal or shape one's identity. While this anonymity is often abused, serving as a barrier from personal accountability for those who spread ignorance and hatred, it can have many positive uses. By removing the disclosure of personal information, people can be judged solely on the validity of what they have to say, transcendent of connotations such as race, gender, religion, age, sexual proclivity, etc. Seemingly, this could be particularly useful in providing marginalized members of society a chance to voice their opinions without being victim of prejudice.  Personally, I have difficulty understanding the notion of minorities becoming empowered through anonymity. During a discussion of any kind, whether “anonymous” or not, information provided by each contributor will allow others to form opinions about them. In order to express issues related to societal perceptions of your identity, you cannot separate yourself from said identity.

While the internet does allow us to interact without reference to external features of identity, I believe that people will inevitably project their own assumptions on others until provided with information that would suggest otherwise.  As human beings, nay, living organisms, we simply cannot help but constantly survey and judge our surroundings. In an online context, reading someone’s words will invariably lead to the formation of sort of mental image of the author. Aspects of the authors identity that that may not be revealed explicitly such as the gender or race will likely be “guessed”  to some degree as to what is most likely based on what is being said, and where it is being said.  When I am on my “home community” of Reddit atheism, I generally recognize the people I converse with as being white males. Conversely, in research of my previous blog on the Dooce, I identified its community members as almost exclusively female. These assumptions are quite natural and usually go unmentioned, but one should consider the possibility of exception before acting accordingly. Ultimately, I think assumptions with regards to internet identity are common and vary considerably based on the context, and are necessarily harmful. Furthermore, in order for minorities to become empowered online, they must first acknowledge their identity, for enlightenment can only occur when perceptions are changed, not simply prevented.