Week 3 - online identities

a) In what way can the Net be thought of as an 'open architecture?'
HELP. does anyone have any ideas about this question because im not sure. good start i know!

b) Do you think that assuming an online persona (via screen name/handle etc) encourages people to play with identity they present online and take risks in the ways they express themselves?
i think people take many risks by experiementing with there online persona. pg 166 it is suggested that our online idenity is different to our writing a letter idenity and i agree with this but i also think it depends what manner you need to be in. for example if you were righting to a friend on a postcard you'd be relaxed, quick and prehaps quirky - which is how the friend would know you be to. however if you are writing to a new boss the letter would be more formal with expression such as 'dear sir/madam' or 'yours sincerly'. i think online idenity can be seen in the same way. who ever you are perceiving to be online will have different characterisics which will be expressed. a huge risk is pedophilla. a 35 year old white man could be online i either a chatroom or MUD etc pretending to be someone there not e.g. a 12 year old girl, someone there not to become closer and gain the trust of unsupected victims. being caught is a huge risk. there is a advantage to chaging your personality, which is you can be who ever you want to be if you dont like your real self. your online identity could be seen as a get away from the real life you!

c) What do you think of postmodern views which stress the fluidity of online selves and their apparent disembodied status, which has been argued frees people from being represented through signs of their race, gender, class etc?
pg 168 'online experiences are determind by social reality, material resources, by gender, sexuality and race.' i think this is suggesting that your real self influences who you are online (unconsiously or consiously) but i agree that these issues can also free people online. for example a lower class, female, who has poor education but enjoys playing tennis could interact online with a upper class, male, who plays tennis in his private school. these two people may never think of interacting together face to face because of the class and gender differences but online there real identities can be manipulated.

d) Do cyberidentities constitute an alternative to 'normal social reality'?
'Who are you when you are online' pg 167. i have mentioned before that your identity online can be an escape from your real life. for example - if your were being bullied, or if you were in foster care and you didnt think you life could get any worse, online you dont have to be that person. you could be a superhero if you wanted to be. i do agree that cyberidentities are an alternative to 'normal social reality' but they are maybe not the answer to some peoples overall problems. if you were being bullied you couldnt pretent to be a superhero forever in hope that it might change how you really are. the other thing id like to think about is what is normal? to people who are use to sitting in front of a computer in cyberspace it might be normal to them to not be themselves. other people online will actually talk about their true selves, to try and get help with any issues they may have. (i may have trailed off a little bit there)

e) Are online relationships the same as offline ones?
your never going to get the same atmosphere/representations online as your are face to face. althought you could be who ever you want to be online you in real life you have to be who you are, so deluding yourself i the long run isnt going to work to your advantage. people can make friends and chat online just as easily online if not more easily an this could be seen as an advantage to shy etc people but you are also missing human contact, body language, touch etc which you would get from a face to face relationship. i dont think online and offline relationships are the same but whos to say which way of having a relationship is right for who? i do think that now a days, since cyberspace etc has beena round people are more likely to sit at home and form virtual relationships than going out in the real world and actually making friends face to face.