What is an anonymous online author?

What is a multimedia author?

A multimedia author is one whose writing contributes to a single archive of thoughts and ideas. Multimedia authors cannot claim their work as their own because the texts that they create are influenced by other sources, and in turn contribute to the creation of new works by other multimedia authors.

According to Foucault, discourse is not “a thing, a product, or a possession, but an action.” The value of multimedia writing does not lie in the author who claims possession of the words, but in the activity of writing itself. A multimedia writer takes action to record his or her thoughts through words, pictures, or videos. These actions can then inspire further action in other writers who may build off of text that has already been recorded. It is not important to note who the thoughts belong to, but instead how they contribute to the realm of multimedia writing.

Barthes claims that, “the writer can only imitate a gesture forever anterior, never original.” Though an author may develop a new idea about a previously discussed topic, his words can never be entirely original. It is impossible for an author to write without the use of knowledge acquired from authors who wrote before him.

Therefore, it is not necessary for multimedia writers to strive to create original ideas that they can call their own. Instead, multimedia authors are writers who knowingly borrow and elaborate on the ideas of others in order to create a collection of text that is continuously growing and changing.

Research Proposal, Final Copy

Numerous Internet users navigate through websites and publish writing, pictures, and videos with the belief that their personal identities are anonymous to others. In the past, this sense of anonymity may have been justified. However, as technology continues to advance, it is becoming more and more difficult to remain anonymous online. Every time an individual updates their online status or publishes a photo, they are leaving small traces of their online identity. Even if a website offers secrecy, sophisticated search programs and software can likely be used to identify the “anonymous” users. In considering the changing condition of online identity, I have decided to research the question of whether the possibility of online anonymity is diminishing.

Through the use of ambiguous user names, site members can craft identities for themselves based on their writing and other publications, rather than accurate personal information. Still, the opportunity to write without having to take responsibility for one’s words may influence individuals to fail to consider the impact of their publications on internet users. Though Internet users may be allowed the freedom to write and publish their thoughts without claiming authorship of their work, should users remain aware of the possibility of losing their right to anonymity should their online publications prove harmful to others? In what ways should the law be able to interfere with online identity? It is even still realistic for websites to offer members anonymity? Furthermore, how would the elimination of online anonymity change the material that Internet users publish on the web?

I plan to look deeper into these questions through my research. I suspect that the possibility of online anonymity is becoming less and less realistic. As technology continues to advance and as the law adapts to fight crime online, Internet users will not only be discouraged but prevented from remaining anonymous. Through my research, I hope to offer insight into the evolution of the Internet and how advancements online are contributing to the end of online anonymity.

I will begin my research by exploring the following websites:

“Benefits of OpenID.” Openid.net. http://openid.net/get-an-openid/individuals/. 9/13/09.

Dignan, Larry. “Obama taps OpenID for government websites.” ZDNet.com. http://news.zdnet.co.uk/security/0,1000000189,39746744,00.htm. 9/14/09.

Perez, Sarah.“The End of Online Anonymity.” ReadWriteWeb.com. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_end_of_online_anonymity.php. 9/13/09.

Whitelaw, Kevin. “Gotcha! Why Online Anonymity May Be Fading.” NPR.org. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112450627. 9/14/09.

Whittaker, Zach. “Should the anonymity shroud be lifted online?” Zdnet.com. http://blogs.zdnet.com/igeneration/?p=2663. 9/14/09.

Research Proposal

The emergence of social networking websites has certainly influenced the flow of information and means of communication across the globe. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter have made it increasingly easy for individuals everywhere to publish their writing, as well as pictures and videos, online. While the majority of these websites provide the opportunity for users to claim authorship of their online publications, it has proved just as easy for members of these sites to claim anonymity. Through considering these varied forms of online authorship, I have decided to research how the works of online writers, photographers, and filmmakers change when their true identities remain unknown to readers and viewers.

Through the use of ambiguous user names, site members can craft identities for themselves based on their writing and other publications, rather than accurate personal information. In some cases, the possibility of remaining unknown may influence persons to write freely and without bias, as they will not be judged in relation to their personal identity, but only by the value of their words. However, the opportunity to write without having to take responsibility for one’s words may also cause individuals to fail to consider the impact of their publications on internet users.

While social networking sites appear to be increasing chances for individuals to share thoughts and communicate with ease, these sites are also raising issues of personal authorship and identity. Do online publishers have certain responsibilities to site users? Though there do not seem to be extensive guidelines as to what is and is not appropriate behavior on these sites, are their unwritten rules that users follow in order to increase usability and member friendliness? Does the possibility of publishing under a false or indefinite identity have a positive or negative influence on what publishers write, photograph, and film?

I would like to examine these questions by researching the use of social networking sites, including Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace. I plan to collect sources and data through both internet research and personal interview. I will use search engines to generate sources that relate to the content of social networking websites. I also plan to search internet databases such as LexisNexis and Jstor for articles relating to my topic. Finally, I would like to interview individuals who have used social networking sites for varied purposes and ask them questions about what aspects of the sites they find beneficial, as well as which they feel may be harmful. Using sources that discuss both the positive and negative implications of online social networking, I hope to offer insight into the influence of multimedia authorship on the material published on social networking websites, and how this material changes in relation to the amount of information the author reveals about him or herself.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/08/04/marines.social.media.ban/

Plagiarism and the Plagiosphere

When reading Edward Tenner’s, “The Rise of the Plagiosphere,” and Jonathan Lethem’s, “The Ecstasy of Influence,” I began to think not only about how plagiarism is defined, but also about how this definition has evolved and changed throughout time and across different sources of media. Prior to reading these excerpts, I viewed plagiarism as a forbidden and deceitful practice. However, as I continue to explore the topic, I have begun to question the validity of plagiarism as well as the difficulty of identifying these practices.

Throughout the past couple of decades, technology has advanced to the extent that writing and publishing are no longer limited to pen and paper. Instead, individuals can compose text and publish their work easily and quickly through internet sources including blogs and social networking websites. Furthermore, those who use text messaging and e-mails as means of communication are becoming authors in their own sense. As the practice of writing changes and evolves across new and more advanced mediums, one must question whether practices of plagiarism are also taking on new forms. Tehher states, “What NASA did to our conception of the planet, Web-based technologies are beginning to do to our understanding of our written thoughts. We look at our ideas with less wonder and with a greater sense that others have already noted what we’re seeing for the first time.” If we are writing with the sense that others have already taken note of our ideas, is it still wrong to use the thoughts of others in order to further develop our own?

In “The Ecstacy of Influence,” Lethem discusses Dariush Mehrjui, an Iranian filmmaker who creates a film adaption of J.D. Salinger’s novel Franny and Zoey. Lethem explains how a showing of the film is canceled because, “its announcement [brings] threat of a lawsuit down on the Film Society” who is willing to show it. In response to the film’s cancelation, Lethem questions, “why would [Salinger] care that some obscure Iranian filmmaker had paid him homage with a meditation on his heroine?” This dilemma elaborates on the topic of plagiarism and when it should be prohibited. Is it truly harmful to base a film or a piece of writing off of a previous work, even if the new creation brings light and draws new audiences to the original work? I agree with Lethem that this form of plagiarism would likely have been viewed as a form of flattery towards Salinger rather than an insult.

As forms of plagiarism change and evolve, so must our previously negative interpretation of these methods. Plagiarism is certainly a practice that can sometimes be considered thievery. However, I do not feel that building off of the writing of others should typically be classified as stealing. If writers, filmmakers, and artists can use works of the past to enhance their work today, they should be encouraged, not forbidden, to take into consideration the thoughts of others.