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/
Monday, September 7, 2009
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1 comments:
I think this topic is an incredibly interesting one. There have been times where I have wondered about a certain online personage and have noticed how my views on the person change with the current way in which I'm viewing them. I know that Twitter and MySpace allow a user to be somewhat anonymous, but I'm not sure that Facebook does. Yes, you can have a pic that isn't you/doesn't look like you, as well as not have personal information about yourself, but I think that Facebook leaves more doors for users to find out the identity of the person. I'm interested in how you're going to go about this project, and I can't wait to hear what other items you've found.
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