Our current
poll has been causing a bit of water cooler discussion amongst the Read/WriteWeb
authors. The question we're asking in the poll is: in your current Web
activities where an identity is required (i.e. you can't be anonymous) do you
ever fake all or part of your identity?
After 511 votes so far, an astonishing 55% of respondents say they regularly or always use fake Web identities. Just 12% of people said they always use their real identity. Remember we're specifically asking about the times when you use an identity rather than being simply anonymous - so for example if you use online dating sites, peer-to-peer transactions sites such as craigslist or ebay, and general social networking sites like MySpace and Second Life.
One thought amongst the R/WW authors was that the poll might be a bit too general. Indeed the poll results reminded me of a comment made on an earlier R/WW post (by Jitendra Gupta) about Throwaway Identities. This is an extract from the comment I'm referring to, which was made by a 19-year old:
"I think there's two areas that need to be treated separately:
1 - Teenage social things like myspace, IM, video games etc.
2 - Serious things where someone can ruin your career or life by stealing your identity.In the second area a system like openID is needed, but in the first it's fun to change your identity and it's even part of the experience."
So perhaps the Web is encouraging people, particularly the younger generation, to experiment with identity in social networks and the like. That it's all part of the Web experience these days. But when it comes to 'serious' things, like buying and selling on eBay, then people will use their real identities.
What do others make of the poll results so far? 55% of people regularly or always faking their Web identity seems quite high, but is it just a reflection of the current era of the Web - which is mostly about socializing and entertainment? Also perhaps faking your Web identity is just plain common sense on social networks and social blogs, because who knows if what you write today will bite you in the bum 10-15 years down the line.
Pic by miss.chaos
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I always use my real identity... I'm interested in networking with people, and you start off on the wrong foot by lying :)
Posted by: Robert Dewey | January 31, 2007 4:21 PMI find it entirely amusing that the poll about this, didn't require anyone to identify themselves in any way but was anonymous. Which makes me wonder what the results of such a poll would be, if it required the person answering to attach some kind of identity to it. Fir example, whenever I leave a comment here...I attach an identity to it (whether it's fake or real, we all do it when we comment) ...so if we all had to take that identity we've built some reputation on, and use it with our poll answer...how many of us would admit that we regularly fake an identity? I'm thinking the anonimity of the poll actually created a more honest number in the results? Because none of us had to risk our reputation on whatever we answered. Which is really what being anonymous and faking an identity revolves around.
Posted by: Devon | January 31, 2007 5:25 PMI didn't fill in the poll, but I can tell you that admins, moderators and some senior members of forums, blogs, and just about any sort of social site do use 2nd and 3rd 'maintained' alter-egos to orchestrate/steer threads and comment streams.
Posted by: rcjordan | January 31, 2007 5:38 PMI never fake my identity on blogs but on some sites I have been known to provide inaccurate DOB...Does the choice of identity depend on the context? Does it depend on what you are saying?
Posted by: Jitendra | January 31, 2007 11:35 PMI nearly always fake my web identity. Why ? For example - you would like to read a forum or download a new theme for your website. Most of forums right now require you to register first. They you've got a lots of spam e-mails and even ordinary spam mails. Then you know that when you receive a lottery winning mail to your home address on your fake name that it actually works. I do not fake my identity on webshops I trust, but on other sites it's easier to use your for-spam-only e-mail address and fake name.
Posted by: Victor | February 1, 2007 6:18 AMI regularly fake my DOB, it helps to be 10 years older on occasion, and I am sure I'm not alone on that. I have done it for a long time, as many website require you to be over a certain age (no, not just pr0n; I started doing it when i was still innocent ;))
I think it would also be fair to say that we also frequently "fake" our personality online, after all, its not like many people will actually know you out off all the other billions out there.
Posted by: Tom | February 1, 2007 7:36 AMI like for stalkers to have an easier time tracking me. That's why I usually include a picture too with my real name and city. I just want them to see the goods before risking 20 years in prison. One minute in a phonebook is all they need to find me. That way, they can abduct me and hopefully, CSI will give me my 15 minutes of fame. I really hope they choose my casefile for an episode.
Posted by: Karen Finkelstein | February 1, 2007 8:01 AMAlways truthful. Even when Ah'm on the internets.
Posted by: George W. Bush | February 1, 2007 8:16 AMIf I deal with institutions or people that I do commerce with you get my true me.
but for sites who just want to put me in a database, I fake it.
And btw, my public birthday is always "1/1/1": Jan 1st, 1971, Jan 1st, 1981, Jan 1st, 1991. This I protect myself from idedentity miners.
Likewise, I can be a man or a woman, earn below 10K a year or over $500K
but my best descripion from a list is usually "other"
Posted by: Jan1 | February 1, 2007 8:34 AMI always fak3 my identity, unless I'm buying something that needs to be mailed to me, and even then I'll only use my first name, last initial where I can. My alter-ego has taken over my personal, and is all I blog under. The site, the email address, they all come to me via my home server, but I have plenty of blocks in place to lead info seekers nowhere. I think too many give away far too much info about themselves online; it's just not safe, and will lead to more problems in the future.
Your identity is your own, don't sell yourself out just to get on a list to "win" something online...it's a scam.
fak3r
Posted by: fak3r | February 1, 2007 9:10 AMThis is news to adults ?
Posted by: Ace | February 1, 2007 9:20 AMCertainly not to kids.
If the phone rings there is no rule that you have to answer it.
No way I would leave my true info anywhere except secure site like paypal or ssn.gov or fafsa.ed.gov - but why would you really need the correct spelling of my name if I just want to leave a comment on your forum blog? My regular email and all other information. To be honest I don't even trust paypal all that much, why would I trust some obscure forum owner to to abuse my personal information?
Posted by: Nick | February 1, 2007 9:41 AMI only give out bits of my identity? If when I want to. If I think something doesn't merit givng bits of my identity, I fake it. I'm not worried about security, because the problem is that the system is fundamentally broken anyway; it's the fact that it's rude and inconvienient.
Posted by: Matthew W. S. Bell | February 1, 2007 10:08 AMTrue. Sad, but oh so very true.
Posted by: Ivan Minic | February 1, 2007 12:25 PMI am shocked, repeat shocked, I tell you that anyone, repeat anyone, would use a real identity anyplace where it is not required e.g. banking or else in cases where they are trying to sell themselves e.g. political candidates.
Posted by: Idenity Falso | February 1, 2007 2:19 PMWhy should I leave personal information around for people, if you don't know me then I more than likely dont want to know you.
Posted by: Why | February 1, 2007 3:08 PMHAHAHA... he said a secure site like PAYPAL?
Posted by: whome? | February 1, 2007 6:41 PMI fake my identity on any site where I don't think they need my real identity but require you to give it to them. I don't want them to have that! On forums and blogs I'm always myself though.
Posted by: Random5 | February 4, 2007 8:04 PM