Tag: anonymity

Facebook: Social network site or privacy-invading, surveillance-enabling data harvester?

Adam Meyer
Abstract: Facebook has become an apparatus for a performative and competitive collection of ‘friends’, a tool that facilitates both state and corporate surveillance, and interpersonal surveillance between friends, (ex) romantic partners and (potential) employers whilst users simultaneously watch and are watched. Given currently unfolding events embroiling Facebook, this paper will provide ample evidence that Facebook should be treated with extreme caution if one cannot completely avoid it.   Keywords: Facebook, Read more [...]

The Negative Effects of Anonymity and Excessive Participation in Online Gaming Communities

Elise Grazotis10 Comments
Elise Grazotis Curtin University   PDF Version: The Negative Effects of Anonymity and Excessive Participation in Online Gaming Communities Abstract This paper explores characteristics of the online gaming community and the associated negative consequences to users. Participation in these communities is generally anonymous due to the nature of the games that usually require avatars or characters that fit into the alternate world, rather than personal, offline identities. While Read more [...]

Using Manufactured Identities in Online Social Media

RMarkham10 Comments
Abstract The use of pseudonyms and personas when creating profiles within online social media serves to provide many vulnerable people with a way to safely have an online presence without the fear of harassment or real world threats. The rise in the number of hacking incidents involving identity theft combined with a growing number of reports of fake online identities being used for malicious and criminal intent, has led to companies such as Facebook implementing security measures such as the Read more [...]

Goodreads in the development of personal relationships on discussion boards through shared common interests

Peter Van Werkhoven9 Comments
Download PDF Abstract This paper will explore the development of relationships through discussion boards on Goodreads by arguing that online discussions give young people who are unable to communicate offline a chance to connect with others through a shared interest. This paper will also argue how through anonymity and pseudonymity young people have a chance to create a personal persona that aids them in the development of self.   Discussion Online discussion boards, chat groups, and Read more [...]

Rounding up the loyalists: Building brand communities in Web 2.0

Sarah Heath14 Comments
Abstract The following paper considers three diverse online brand communities as examples of how businesses create browser-based platforms to engage with their customers and build loyalty. Since the advent of Web 2.0, and the ability for internet users to produce and distribute content easily and cheaply, businesses and marketers question how to be heard in a changed and changing media landscape. The purpose of this discussion is to show that brand community success is not accidental: I argue that Read more [...]