Bowker and Tuffin's goal was to investigate the online experience. They essentially looked at how disabled people experienced an online community. People with disabilities, who have become a "different" group among people of their culture. They have in some sense been left behind in face to face communication because of their lack of power of being able to meet physical demands. Their differences, which of course or noticed in person to person contact, have no grounds and play no role in the online sense of community. Their disability no longer defines them. This is such a prime example of the power of the internet. In so much of the sense people are more free to become something they are not in life when the construct who they want people to really see. They have the control. Bowker and Tuffin found that this research deserved some attention because of some negative results. They often begin experiencing alternate subjectivities during their online lives. They are longing to be creative and form a new outlet of self expression, however, this type of made up self-representation can be harmful to others in the process.
Quian and Scott's findings show that that people with a higher degree of discursive anonymity may also have more self-disclosure, and when writing and communicating their own information on the internet to a certain audience determines the amount of anonymity. I think it is important to look at how and why people are disclosing so much information on the internet as well as what extreme opposite selves they are representing (such as the disabled man that is blogging as pro athlete). I believe it is important psychologically to evaluate this type of behavior to try and project the new sense of community and trust that we will have to form as a world that is online even more so in the future.
The second I read your comment about a disable man blogging as a pro athlete, the reading about MUDs came to mind. People log in, create contra personalities, then go about playing the game. Same idea for your comment, although this persons contra personality is built up based on comments and posts he makes. Both are difined by the user, but in different ways.
ReplyDeleteI really like the point you made about how it's important to look at how and why people are disclosing so much information on the internet. It is true that people are more free to become something they are not in life but there's a fine line between being free to become something you aren't to just being a liar- like the disabled blogger who said he was a pro athlete. I just don't understand why people have to be so mean online and why people have to go to such extremes to lie about who they are and deceive people.
ReplyDeleteDisable people are just lonely, and need a friend. Unlike other bloggers that have an agenda to hurt and destroy other people well-being.
ReplyDeleteSo would you agree that having some level of anonymity is important for people with disabilities to be able to have "normal" conversations online?
ReplyDeleteI agree Will some people spend their life on the internet trying to harm other people. On the other hand; there are other people reaching out for a friend and wants someone to encourage them along the way. This world is evil who would spend their time trying to hurt someone identity? Oh I know, Somebody with too much time on their hand.
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