The need for multiple personas is finally coming to the forefront. And Orbius is ready to help.
From the Washington Post - Friday 5-2-2008
The Rise of Alter Egos in Everybody's Space
After Oversharing Users Recast their Online Personas
--------- Some choice excerpts from the article:
Not only that, an indiscreet comment in a face-to-face exchange can be
regretted and forgotten. Online, it can live for years, providing
personal details to potential bosses and marketers.
"For the first time in history, we can't tailor our image for our
specific goals," said Mark R. Leary, professor of psychology and
neuroscience at Duke University. "When we have to create an all-purpose social history, how do people juggle competing audiences?"
Modifying online personalities in search of more privacy "is a natural
evolution in our relationship with these technologies," said Mary
Madden, senior research specialist with the Pew Internet &
American Life Project, who has studied privacy issues among teens on
social networks. "There's a bigger pool of people to think about now.
Networks we initially considered to be curated and private can start to
feel very public."
Pew research has shown that 66 percent of teens with an online
profile have restricted access to it.
Among teens who allow their
profiles to be seen by others, nearly half provide some fake
information.
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But Facebook does not allow members to go by nicknames, initials or
other pseudonyms on the site and will deactivate accounts found to be
using a fake name. Chris Kelly, Facebook's chief privacy officer, said using real names encourages people to be accountable for their online behavior.
"Facebook is not a place to experiment with your identity and have six
different profiles that you use based on what day of the week it is and
what persona you want to inhabit," he said. "It's meant to be a place
to share real-life social context."
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Facebook user Katherine Kennedy, 23, who runs her own public relations
firm in the District, has more than 2,300 friends, including
professional acquaintances, clients and long-time pals. It's tough to
keep in touch with them all, she said, so she started a separate
profile for close friends so she can be freer in what she shares
online.
"I think it's definitely the case that people are trying to create
different circles. We obviously portray different selves when we're
with different groups of people," said Eszter Hargittai, assistant
professor of communication studies and sociology at Northwestern University,
who said she has also considered starting a different profile to
communicate just with friends. "A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't
work."
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