Online communities and social networks mediated by the Internet provide a novel forum for self-representation. In this forum the self is disembodied, but made known by self-statements and other textual cues. Due to the absence of physical anchoring and the ability of the user to selectively choose the information they present, the opportunity to misrepresent identity can be greater than in real life (Donath, 1999). This paper explores the extent to which people afford themselves of this opportunity for misrepresentation and whether this changes as anonymity decreases and accountability increases. More specifically, this paper posits that the decrease in anonymity in online forums does not decrease identity misrepresentation, rather it changes the nature of self representation from the exposition of the real self to a more socially-orientated possible self.
