ID in the networked social media

Virtual ID in this context implies social identity that Web users create and manage on web sites and online communities. Majority of Internet users prefer to identify themselves via pseudonyms, which reveals certain information that identify the person.
Coyne emphasizes that whenever we interact in social sphere it denotes the mask of self - identity. There is no difference in online world if we have in mind that she/he has to respond to certain questions in their profile (age, gender, address, user name, etc.), which makes "identity" in social networks.
As person publishes and (re)presents to the networked publics, she or he are making and adding layers to their masks (in writing style, vocabulary and topics). After all, does mask really hide the identity? When one chooses certain kind of mask, it shows and reveals something about the subject that's behind the mask. Online mask does not reveal the real identity of the person. Even if person decides to hide her/himself behind totally fake identity, this shows fears and the lack of self-esteem. By creating and setting up the identity mask people create safety net/work, facade.

Identity plays very important role in virtual communities. Virtual communities give people freedom in representing themselves, and this results in new possibilities for the society, especially the person's ability to explore new roles in the way that's safer, more interesting, sometimes useful. Virtual identity enabled possibility to feel more comfortable in wide range of roles, which some of them can be underlying life aspects of that person who is not being able to present it in real life (Goffman).
Social online networks (as My Space or Facebook) facilitate to maintain online identity within overlapping dual contexts: online and real world. In these social networks identities are presented as profiles (of the users). Those are often formed identities aiming to reflect certain aspect or the best possible version of -self -I (handsome, over-paid, great income, gym is "the must", high-education, etc.) Representations include beside profile, photos, communication forms with other 'friends', and network members. Goal is to be 'cool", and to receive everyday feedback's through validations of the colleagues, allies, 'friends', fans. In general, people are projecting their identity by demonstrating their relations with others.

This is very short overview as research in the field of social media give us precious insight in human behaviour, society structures and processes of cultural dynamics. This phenomena brought significant changes, not only for people in IT area, but for people in education, business, everyday users. It is necessary to understand what is happening in this context since Web 2.0 reconstructs many key elements in society, create the awareness of information ecology and provide insight for the future innovations.

my short story

A bit & bytes of facts:
I started to use computers at the end of primary school (glory days of Commodore) and I got very curious and interested. I was very good in COBOL and FORTRAN programming languages but I got even more enthusiastic with computers when I discovered Internet in 1995. Then, my former boyfriend who was total geek -math student, introduced me to Inter webs and computers of that generation. I remember sitting for hours behind (the black) screen chatting in LAN, and later using IRC and Usenet where we sent messages to each other. I was amazed with possibilities and spent many hours both in computer lab on Math Institute SANU (Serbian Academy of Science and Arts) as well as the computer lab at ETF (Faculty of Engineering and CS). Since my nature for studies was dual - humanities and computer science, I tried to balance and find some golden path between them.

I created my first web page at 1996. and was pioneer in many innovative things that didn't exist before in Serbia (former Yugoslavia). Throughout the School and after School I had wonderful practice in areas of information science and digital culture and society from professors and practitioners from abroad.
In late 90s I've pioneered the development of first listservs in academia (they had over 800 members and some of them were international). It was funny situation during that time when many people thought that behind that 'virtual' wall are several people working on this project, but when we met in real life they were shocked to see that there is a young girl who managed everything. In the early of 2000 I was the founder and editor in chief of the first electronic magazines (in visual arts, contemporary architecture and culture) , and blogger since 2002. I've changed many blogging platforms (from blogger, wired, livejournal and settled finally at wordpress).
Also, beside educational work and training the students, professionals on new web 1.0 applications (from web sites to online databases), I was the idea factory for many projects in education, science, culture. The first (and the only so far) institutional science blog in Serbia was created and managed by my enormous desire to expand the borders and challenge myself and others in innovations of Web 2.0. I think I did succeed.
I've changed lot of hardware, have worked on many of them, used many software as well, I am gadgets freak, and some people say I'm a geek gal. My parents know this the best and since they are in totally different professions I am deeply grateful for their patience with me. At certain point I agree about being geeky but I never go to extremes - I love my analogue private life, and when I'm not present online I have lot of other interesting people and things that occupy me. I keep my first and the oldest laptop (from 1998) as vintage and never throw away my hardware.

As speaking of virtual identity, I trying to balance my digital identity from both positions: as participant and observer/researcher. It is interesting how other people see me as virtual persona, actually as a real person with (her) activities in digital medium. It depends on person - colleagues know who i am (at least I hope they know < smile > ), and other people who read my words, follow me in my work, or just random people - have different perceptions of my ID/Entity which depends on self-presentations in different mediums and contexts.
I am known to twitter from the airplane when the software is crashed down, at the conferences, write or chat while I eat (bad habit), hack and fight with other supersmart people for some good cause but then there are times when I love to sit in the nature, beside the water, river, sea, ocean, practice yoga and meditate.
Recently, I took a Digital Native test (made byDN Initiative) and my score was 95%. The only question I failed was about the usage of TiVO.< grin >
Many people find hard to follow me, I can add that my current computer finds that the same as many times I type much faster than he can digest. Also, I find hard to find supersmart engineers in computer science, in professional and private life. But, I'm learning and trying to understand both parties. I'm learning a lot from much experienced web developers and designers, I like to hear each part and brainstorm with them as well as with professors from different Universities world wide, who inspire me, and vice versa.
Since, I'm involved in Information Technologies for more than 13 years, and in online communities (as participant and observer) for 10 years, my PhD research focus is on the later.
You can find me, if not working in front of my base station surrounded by a lot of creative and inspirational thingies that help to go through, or listening in the background while writing to my Last.fm, I am usually walking down the streets, taking photographs, chilling out in outdoors caffees, chilling, talking to people, hailing the cab, or making creative chaos. I never go without my mobile listening to my favorite music playlist and podcasts du jour. Have my own, unique mo's that I keep for myself and the closest ones.

Virtual ID/Entity

Before I reply to your post, a thought, a reflection that i'll develop how do you and you manage your online identity vs identity in the physical world? How many of you keep in this context, of social web and virtual communities, self-awareness and identity management?
Further reading at Digital Serendipities, where I've been writing about representation in virtual world as well as digital management impression issues.