Self, Identity and Community

For this assignment, I observed postings from the following Usenet groups: rec.music.beatles, soc.history.what-if, and alt.tv.american-idol.

Usenet groups such as the ones listed above are a means in which people of common interests use to share their thoughts and ideas. They are the tools that individuals use to generate and sustain an "online community"; however, according to Christopher Scheer, a freelance writer and editor, the communication that occurs through computer networks will never measure up to actual human interactions. This is attributed to the fact that computers decrease and limit human contact which in turn "weakens people's sense of community and widen existing social divisions."

Communities require human interaction and interpersonal communication, which web-based forums tend to limit to words on a page. In addition, online forums are also restrictive in its topics of interest. People form discussion groups which are limited to their interests online, neglecting the diversity of human life in off-line communities. Web-based forums are often controlled by a few dominant members of the group with other participants acting as the audience of the main group's ideas. Participants never really know who they are speaking to, aside from the information that the individual is willing to offer them and even so, it is unsure that the information being provided is even true. In effect, the perceived reality projected by web-based forums is one that transforms the idea of community into social interactions based on mere personal preferences, which do not require a commitment to the whole; however, human communities require much more than personal interests to exist. Human, off-line communities require interconnectedness between many different peoples and generally seeks to promote the common good of all its members, regardless of their differing interests.

This interconnectedness is partly dependent on how much we can trust other members of the community. When observing the activity of the three forums, it seems highly unlikely that the majority of its forum members would be willing meet and collaborate with each other in person. In fact, many of these members tend to participate in these online interactions specifically because they do not have to see or talk to the other participant face to face. Online discussions provide individuals with a "safe" haven to speak their minds without the fear of rejection or social repercussion. In turn, it also causes some individuals to act in a manner in a way they would never act in "real life". Things such as "flamewars", heated arguments or online "fights", exist as a result of the freedom offered by Usenet and other forums. Although google groups which I visited did not have many instances of flamewars, I do realize that a fair amount of this activity exists in other forums such as SXDX (a forum for the band Social Distortion). I will admit that I have personally witnessed the instigation of flamewars on this particular site. The funny thing is, though the individuals sound "tough" online, in reality the authors of such posts were really friends of mine - video game nerds who enjoy music as well as their fair share of history and politics. Bottom line: they would never attempt to act in the manner they do on those forums in real life. Another good example of this alternate ego is the article published by Wired Magazine, "An IM Infatuation Turned to Romance. Then the Truth Came Out." This article follows the story of two IM-ers who both falsified their identities to start a romance with a younger partner. Eventually, this virtual romance became so heated it transformed itself into an infatuation was perceived as reality to both parties - real enough lead the 45-year old former marine (claiming to be an 18 year old marine), Thomas Montgomery, into killing out of jealousy for this internet romance. On the other hand, Montgomery had been led to believe that he was in a romantic relationship with an 18 year old girl named, "Jessi" when in reality, the person he'd really been involved with was Mary, a 45-year old married mother who was using her daughter's screen name and identity to generate virtual admirers in the chat room.

The development of digital technology and internet communication has undoubtedly influenced the way individuals generate their ideas of self, identity and community. Although Usenet groups have brought many people together through their common interests, it has also altered our perception of community in leading individuals to believe that the reality being presented by these groups is what the real world is also experiencing outside of these discussions. Virtual reality and reality become harder and harder to distinguish as people begin to identify themselves with the persona they present behind their online masks.