Express yourself?
When looking for trends in the way social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn are being used, it’s interesting to find out just how represent themselves between not just the different sites, but in different contexts within those sites as well. Donath and Boyd highlighted an interesting point saying “We may use the network to extend the range of people we can contact; we may use it to limit the people who can contact us.” (2004, 81). With the flow of information user-controlled by the invested parties, a democratic, decentralised and highly interactive representation of an individual is created.
On the other hand, the feeding of this information is somewhat transparent whilst still remaining in the hands of the individuals. Erika Pearson (2009) used the metaphor of The Glass Bedroom, to describe the release of information on a social networking platform as “a bridge that is partially private and public, constructed online through signs and language”. Inside, “private conversations and intimate exchanges occur, each with varying awareness of distant friends and strangers moving past transparent walls that separate groups from more deliberate and constructed ‘outside’ displays.” The online platform for self representation is still not as good as the real life you.
References
Donath, J. and D, Boyd. (2004). “Public displays of connection”. BT Technology Journal, volume 22 (4): 71-82. Accessed March 12, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/.
Leong, Susan. "KCB206 New Media: Internet, Self and Beyond: Week 2 lecture notes." Accessed March 12, 2011. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/.
Pearson, E. (2009). “All the World Wide Web’s a stage: The performance of identity in online social networks.” First Monday volume 14 (3): 1. Accessed March 12, 2011. http://firstmonday.org/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/viewArticle/2162/2127.