Brad Paisley Shows Us Our Own Ridiculousness, Again

Brad Paisley's latest music video humorously depicts internet behavior. In "Online" he discussed the persona shifts that sometimes come along with online interaction when a user portrays themselves in a stronger, more confident way.

I discussed social networking the other day and, while I think online interaction serves some purposes, it can not replace face-to-face interaction. Our lives are different online than they are in the real world. As I write this, I am wearing a faded 15 year old t-shirt and baggy cotton pants, yet I could present myself as a cutthroat business person if I so chose. I could not, however, walk out my front door in these clothes and elicit the same response. Don't misunderstand me; I don't mean to imply that one of these is the right way, the other wrong. I think both real world and online interactions can be enlightening, educational, even empowering.

Brad Paisley has yet again analyzed our society at a wonderfully basic level. See some of his other observations in "Celebrity" or "Alcohol." Reality is always entertaining.

Worth a Read: Created Personas

Yesterday Foresighter posted an entry called The Artist's Staircase. It discusses the premeditated personas that are placed on social networking sites and begs the question of how real the personas are. Now that we can actually create our "selves" rather easily, will these creations enter in to our face-to-face interactions as well?

Choose Your Own Identity

Pseudonyms are common on the web. People use false names for email accounts, websites, social interactions, nearly anywhere that a name is required on the Internet. Identity is easier to proclaim on the Internet than in real life. In life you must be able to prove that you are accomplished where you say and earn your identity. On the Internet, it is slightly easier to declare your talents. It is thought that in many cases on the Internet, people choose to be their ideal selves. From behind the computer they feel more confident.

Identity will probably become a prominent issue in the future. Some European countries are already considering laws that make creating email accounts with pseudonyms illegal. Wikipedia asked for an editor's resignation upon learning that his credentials were false (see Wikipedia disowns an editor). In a world that is becoming increasingly more reliant on technology, watch for rules to be established surrounding identity.

Where should identity be policed and by whom?

Nowhere to Hide: Europe May Ban False Web Identities

Europeans may lose the right to create Web and email accounts under false names according to a New York Times article last week (Europe’s Plan to Track Phone and Net Use).

Creating an email account under a pseudonym is common practice, particularly for creating a catch-all for junk email. Several European countries are considering making this practice illegal in response to the terrorist bombings in Spain and England. Some of the possible laws would require all email addresses be traceable to a real name.

What effect does this have on Internet users? Should users be required to divulge their real names for email accounts?