danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Identity and Deception April 12, 2004 IS 208B

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Today’s Topic Identity Deception Issues of Trust, Reputation

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Identity - The “body” Representation: Profiles, handles, blog URL, addresses –Lacks known characteristics of the body Process of projecting self into container –Affected by personal experiences –“The Turing Game” Maximizes given, minimizes given off

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Negotiating Identity Projecting self to an unknown audience –Lurkers –Future visitors (persistence) –No context/reaction cues Collapsing of faceted self –What norms are appropriate? –Deja search, Google

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Why does identity matter? Build up reputation, trust Interact in a socially appropriate way Bring online relations into everyday life Anonymity fails in all accounts Pseudonymous identity sometimes appropriate

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Identity and Friendster Context derived by invitee –Maximizes apparent clusters –Maximizes understood norms Profile shifts when broader context realized –Vulnerability, collapsing of facets –Teacher anecdote

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Deception Morality issue? Culturally determined? What is to be gained/lost? –Protection of self -> honor –Protection of situation/context -> respect Often poorly constructed as protection of other Consequence: embarrassment or feeling of deceit? –Opportunity to try something new Keys: context, consequences

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Deception Signaling Assessment signals –Follows handicapped principle –Large muscles to show strength Conventional signals –“Gold’s Gym Powerlifter” T-shirt –Loses value based on inaccuracy of signal

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Everyday Deception How are you? -> I’m fine –You say it when it’s not true –Maintain social appropriateness Walking briskly at night or around panhandlers –Signal: being in a hurry –Self-protection (from physical and/or emotional issues)

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Digital Deception Few assessment signals, only conventional –Problems with coarse descriptors Failure to read assessment signals –What is “written on the body”? Conventional deception that was not previously possible –Gender, race, age

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Is identity deception problematic? Exploring different demographics, different configurations of life Acting out dysfunctional home life in SIMS (Turkle) Access to “privileged” information –Women, minorities & cars in the Valley –Tech bulletin boards

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Technology permits deception Mobile phone: “I’m going under the bridge.. i’m going to break up!” “Sorry, my spam filter must have eaten it” IM: “It’s not accurate about my away time”

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Increasing Accuracy May Not Be Desired Polaroids and Dalai Lama Dots –Constructing the story as appropriate –Ephermality was becoming more precise… Do we really want location information? Vulnerability management

danah boyd IS208BApril 12, 2004 Accuracy and YASNS “Are you my Friend? Yes or no!?!?” –Social appropriateness of saying no… Fakesters Social network models all wrong –Lacking strength of ties –Structural differences