Technology and Community as Identity

George SiemensEmerge: Online Communities and Online

IdentitiesApril 23, 2008

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

Who are we?

Identity considerations

Technological

Relational

Technical details of identity

Digital identity management: set of processes, tools and social contracts surrounding the creation, maintenance and termination of digital identity”

Pato, 2003

Terms

IdentityAttributes– Persistent– Temporary

Authentication (proof of attribute)Access

Camp, 2004

Most of us are more concerned about relational identity rather than digital identity management

Formal identity: when we interact with systems (passport)

Informal identity: how we relate to individuals (communal)

What do we wish to do with “identity”?

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

Identity Formation, pre-Internet

Identity post-internet

Wellman: networked individualism

Three levels of information

Direct declarationIndirect: trails of interaction

Through devices (GPS, mobile)

What you say– Profile– Expression (blog)

What others say– Direct comments– Voting/rating

What you do– Trail of identity

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

As technology becomes distributed...

...our interactions

...our content

...our identity trails

...our identity

Identity trails

Self-declared

Created as a consequence of actions

How does “who we are” influence our relation to others?

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

Associative trails between information

Associative trails between people

Trails in community

Our status

Distributed cognition

Situated learning

Identity distributed

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

Identity as function of interactions

Identity tied to community

Identity is in the pieces, pulled together

Our involvement is our identity

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

Ratings, reviews, and reputations

1. What is identity?2. Identity formation3. The Distributed Self4. Identity Trails5. Identity in associations6. Who is paying attention?7. Concerns

Living in glass houses

Concerns

Future implications

Privacy

Putting the pieces together

Learner awareness of identity formation

Impact of “non-existence”

Correcting false information

Literacy with identity

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gsiemens AT elearnspace DOT org