QotW5: Are You Really Who You Are?

What is your Online Identity?

In the age of vast internet usage, the context of human communication has been altered. With the birth of instant messaging and forums, we can now indulge in "many-to-many" interaction, one that is not affected by geography. Many people have since formed communities and forums that are based on their common interests such as sports, technology gadgets etc. These forums enable people who share a similar interest to discuss issues on a common platform with no regards for their physical location of their members worldwide. (Lackaff, 2003)

However, with this rapid advancement in technology, many problems have also surfaced. Given the unprecedented abilities of the internet, data can now be easily moved around and altered!(Massum and Zhang, 2004) This means that one can easily change the content that they see online or even alter the information that has been posted by others. This problem then boils down to the question of one's reputation on the internet and how one is actually able to maintain his or her own online identity.


An online identity that I am going to discuss about, is something that I have come into contact before. For all basketball and NBA enthusiasts, I am sure this website realgm.com (www.realgm.com) will definitely ring a bell in their heads. Realgm is a website where all basketball enthusiasts come to get their daily dose of the latest action and information on the happenings in the basketball world. In such a site like this, a forum cannot be excluded because this is the best place where basketball fanatics can gather and discuss about their common passion.

A forum like the one I mentioned above is the best place to establish one's reputation and online identity. This is because the individual can choose to be annonymous and develop their reputation based on the quality of their ideas and comments rather than on their wealth and social status. (May, 1994) The reputation and their online identity are often the motivating factors that push people to actively participate in forums and online communities. (Donath, 1996) As mentioned above, I would like to talk about this particular member that participates actively in the "Charlotte Bobcats" forum. He goes by the user-name "fatlever" and is a significant contributor to the forum. If one were to scroll through the entire forum, one will find that he is a moderator for the forum and provides good comments and insights to many of the basketball games. His reputation has been built based on his intelligent and interesting remarks and it is further enhanced when he contributes information that is admired by the group which he participates in. In this sense, I would personally say that "fatlever" has a certain reputation in the Charlotte Bobcats' forum. As "fatlever" follows the games religiously, has constant access to these games, he has become a significant contributor and is touted to be extremely knowledgeable in the basketball scene. Other members in the forum take his comments very seriously and many even ask for his opinion on issues such as the upcoming game score, the most valuable player (MVP) , the biggest surprise and disappointment etc. A check on the profile of "fatlever" shows that he has been a member since June 2001, posted 5491 posts so far and an average of 2.63 posts per day. This shows his high level of participation and reputation that he has in this forum.

However, with the advancement in the virtual world, a host of other problems such as identity theft have been born. This is the simple fact, "if I can pass as you, I can wreck havoc on your reputation either online or offline." (Donath, 1996) One can always take someone else's online identity and ruin the reputation that has been built by the other party. In the virtual world where face-to-face communication is absent, it is so simple to be able to pass off as someone else after getting hold of the person's user-name and password. According to reports, there has been a sharp increase in online and computer-based identity theft through means such as the use of keyloggers. The number of keyloggers have increased by a startling 250% between January 2004 and May 2006. Keylogger is a malicious software that tracks the typing activity of a computer and captures the passwords and private information of the user.(Prince, 2007) In the case of "fatlever", his reputation on the Charlotte Bobcats' forum might be tarnished if someone manages to get hold of his user-name and password and then assumes his identity to post information that is irrelevant to the forum discussion. This can be easily done if "fatlever" is a careless individual and accidentally reveals his personal information and details online. More than often, careless actions such as forgetting to close your login page with your personal details after usage at a public computer terminal will grant others access to your user-name and password. A person with the personal information of "fatlever" can then assume his online identity and start posting information, and others will think that the posts have come from "fatlever" himself. In this scenario, there is a high possibility that the reputation of "fatlever" will be tarnished after people start posting comments under his user-name.

In conclusion, one must be aware that our identity and reputation in the virtual world is build on information that we reveal online, rather than matter in the physical world. (Donath, 1996) Therefore, just as it is easy to compose information and build our reputations online, we must be aware that it is just as easy to commit identity theft and ruin one's online reputation completely.

References:

Donath, Judie(1996). "Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community" Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

Lackaff, D. (2003). "Norm maintenance in online communities: A review of moderation regimes unpublished master's (preliminary) thesis, La Trobe University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia" Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://lackaff.net/node/20

Massum, Hassan and Zhang, Yi-Cheng (2004). "Manifesto for the Reputation Society" Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://www.firstmonday.dk/issues/issue9_7/masum

May, T (1994). "The Cyphernomicon: Cypherpunks FAQ and more" Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://www.oberlin.edu/%7Ebrchikind/cyphernomicon/

Prince, Brian (2007). "Report shows spike in Online Identity Theft" Retrieved February 21, 2007 from http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,2084453,00.asp.

www.realgm.com

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=53

QotW4: "It is better to give than to receive"

Giving and Receiving

Ever since the time of the hunting and gathering societies, a hunter's status in his tribe was not based on how much kill he ate, but it was determined by what he brought back and gave to others. To many, success is defined by what one can offer to others and taking pride in our valuable contributions to others. (Pinchot, 1995) Thus, the emergence of a gift economy is not a new idea or concept, instead it has its roots deep in human nature.

The gift economy can be viewed as an outlet where people can come together "to learn, to understand, to change and take charge of the world." (Pollard, 2005) It is a platform where people offer information without the expectation of any direct return. The gift economy is viewed as a sharp contrast when compared to the traditional commodity economy where price is the main driving factor. There are several motivating factors that fuel a gift economy. Some feel that they have a certain reputation and prestige to upkeep after contributing valuable and trusted information on a certain subject forum. (Rhinegold, 1993) Others might feel a sense of efficacy in which one claims that their information provided affects a particular environment and it boosts their image as a person with efficacy. (Bandura, 1995)

We must be aware that the emergence of online gift economies have been rampant in these recent years. As an increasing number of people communicate online, many groups and forums have also been established for people who share similar interests or belong to the same community. The low cost and the easy distribution of information are also the driving factors behind the online gift economy. People who are intrested in photography for example, might be a member of the online photography society or a die-hard soccer fan might have an exclusive membership to a soccer-only forum. At these forums, people can post their queries and thoughts online, and people of similar interests will help them out, all without a monetary cost.

Having a keen interest and eye for fashion, I belong to several fashion forums such as the "Female First" forum ( http://www.femalefirst.co.uk) where ladies can post their fashion dilemmas or any interesting bits of fashion news online. People will then respond by giving feedback to the receipient or comment about the piece of news that has been posted. However, I would like to discuss about an online gift economy that was introduced to me by a friend.

"Time Zone"(www.timezone.com) is reputed to be the world's leading English language website that offers information about watches to watch enthusiasts all around the world. It is even quoted to be "The world's watch information resource" In this website, one can scroll through the numerous watch forums that are offered. There are public forums where people can post general comments and questions and it boasts a specific brand forum where more than 20 of the world's most reputable watch brands can be found. Therefore, if one might have a question about a particular brand of watch, he or she can go directly to the brand forum and post a question there. An example will be the author "garyny" going into the Cartier brand forum and asking if it is difficult to exchange the bracelet of a Cartier watch. He then received help from a member "hpg1971" regarding that post. Therefore, this is a classic example of a gift economy where one received help from another person and does not expect anything in return. People also contribute news and articles into the community articles of the website, watch reviews, industry news and interviews. Many contribute information voluntarily to these websites in order to share their interest with others and they often do not look forward to any rewards or returns. There is even a French and Japanese language forum that is catered for the Japanese and French members. Therefore, should anyone have any queries about any watch, they can always proceed to Time Zone to have their doubts cleared by others- all at no monetary cost!

In conclusion, we must realise that though money is what drives the economy, not all economies in the world are based on stretching and maximising one's personal gain, in fact some are founded on the basis of giving. (Pinchot, 1995)Therefore as what author lewis Hyde wrote in the book, "The Gift: The Erotic Life of Property", one's gift economy status is with accordance to those who gives the most to others.

References:

Kollock, Peter (1999). 'The Economies of Online Cooperation; Gifts and Public Goods in Cyberspace" Retrieved February 6, 2007 from http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/soc/faculty/kollock/papers/economies.htm

Pinchot, Gifford (1995). "The Gift Economy" Retrieved February 6, 2007 from http://www.context.org/ICLIB/IC41/PinchotG.htm

Pollard, Dave (2005). "The Gift Economy" Retrieved February 6, 2007 from http://blogs.salon.com/0002007/2005/04/17.html

www.femalefirst.co.uk

www.timezone.com

Rheingold, Howard. 1993. The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier. New York: Addison-Wesley.

Bandura, Albert (editor). 1995. Self-Efficacy in Changing Societies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press

Goodbye Crazy Horse :(

Bye Crazy Horse

I managed to catch one of the last performances at Crazy Horse last Friday night. The 400 seat-theatre was more than 70% filled, and i suspect that the rather huge turn-out was due to the fact that people were rushing to catch it before it officially closed on Sunday night.

After leaving the venue at Clarke Quay, i thought to myself why this concept of a cabaret did not take off in Singapore.Were people still not open to this idea? Personally, i enjoyed myself throughout the entire performance. The decor inside was plush and luxurious, with velvety deep-red and gold being the main color theme. The girls danced really well, the lighting was good and i found the whole show really artistic. Or was the price holding people back? Some complained that the price of the tickets were a lil too expensive, with VIP tickets going at $185 (inclusive of a std. drink) for a show that lasted only around...less than 1.5 hours. Whatever the case, i think that its a real pity that the Crazy Horse cabaret had to close down after making its debut in Singapore slightly more than a year ago. Hopefully, if a similar business concept comes to town again, we'll be much more open and receptive of the idea :)

QotW3: Can both parties ever be happy with copyright laws?

Copyright- Making Both Parties Happy
In this modern day and age, we see the word "copyright" being used ever so frequently. Suddenly, almost everything around us seems to be protected by the copyright law, everything from the Happy Birthday song that we sing to even the price list on Best Buy during Black Friday! (Ovalle, 2005) , (Lim, Kevin, Communication 125 lecture, 9/01/2007) However, has anyone ever wondered how the copyright law came about?

The copyright law evolved with the printing press in England during the end of the 15th century. During that time, it was not practical for the author to copy his or her own book, therefore, they "sold" the rights of copying the book to the publishers. Thus, the copyright was considered a non-controversial issue. (Stallman, 2000) However, the copyright law is now in place, mainly to protect the interests of the authors. The law aims to give creators the right to own their creations exclusively, benefit them financially and to encourage authors to create more original works of their own. The copyright law is also more concerned with the primary market, which is the first sale of the material. (Ovalle, 2005)

With the advancement in technology, much information has been available online. Since it is so simple to create information in cyberspace, the information can be subjected to change easily. Digital information sharing between users have also been popular. The illegal sharing of copyrighted materials on peer to peer networks has been rampant, with file sharing being one of the most common online activities. According to statistics, more than 60 million Americans have downloaded music and this number continues to grow rapidly. In the founding year of Napster in 2004 there were more than 9 million simultaneous users on major peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. (Oberholzer-Gee & Strumpf, 2005)

Though it seems that the copyright law is protecting mainly the interests of the authors, the law is actually intended to maintain a balance between the interests of the authors and the public. However, the public has voiced their discontentment as many feel that the authors have been given too much protection and that the law puts them at a disadvantage. Therefore, I feel that there should be some changes made to the copyright law in order to accomadate both the interests of content creators and the public. The "Lehman White Paper", a conference that was held at the University of Oregon, for example states that the copyright laws should never propose that the public trade "all" its freedom to the published works. Both parties, the content creator and the public should benefit from the law. (Stallman, 2000)

Personally, I feel that there is a major change that should be made to the copyright law in order to give maximum benefit to both the parties. The length of the copyright should be reduced. In the US for example, most books that are published are out of print within 3 years, however, the copyright for these books is a whopping 95 years! I do not think that a 95 year copyright is needed, in fact a 10 year copyright from the date of publication will be sufficient. Even amongst the content creators, some authors find that a 10 year copyright is too long. The government should empirically study the length of copyright that is needed to keep the publication active, following which the length of copyright be allocated to the different categories of work. The copyright of movies for example, should last a period of around 20 years. This will also include the rights to sell paraphernalia with the picture of characters on them. The copyright of software should be the shortest, for a period of roughly 3 years. This is because, the software industry is constantly improving and unless the company is in serious trouble, they would have produced a newer version of the software within a period of 3 years. (Stallman, 2000) Therefore, if we shorten the copyright, the public will feel more satisfied and at the same time, the content creators are still being protected.

The next solution that can be adopted in order to accomadate the interests of both parties will be to implement an internet voluntary payment system. There could be a box on the top right hand side of the webpage that indicates to the public that they can click and donate some money to the author if they are satisfied with the piece of work that they are viewing or listening to. Many believe that this system will work very well in the developed and wealthier countries because many people really appreciate their author's work. This can be a way of keeping a "painless kind of copyright for general public that is still of benefit to authors" (Stallman, 2000) In addition, when the public makes these donations to the authors, the creators will know that they are being recognized and this will spur them to create even better work in the future.

In conclusion, we must realise that the issue of copyright law is a very sensitive and thorny problem that the public and the content creators have yet to resolve. The government can come up with many solutions such as the shortening of copyright and the internet voluntary payment system but these solutions will only work if both the content creators and the approach this problem with an open-mind and resolve the problem together.

References:

Ovalle, Carlos (2005). "Information in Cyberspace: Why Copyright?" Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://sentra.ischool.utexas.edu/~i312co/2.php

Stallman, Richard (2000) "Possible Solutions to Copyright Problems." Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www.carnall.demon.co.uk/stallman/solutions.html

Stallman, Richard (2000) "Freedom-Or-Copyright?" Retrieved January 31, 2007 from http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/freedom-or-copyright.html

Strumpf.K and Felix Oberholzer-Gee. (2005). "The Effect of File Sharing on Record Sales: An Empirical Analysis" Retrieved February 1, 2007 from http://www.unc.edu/~cigar/papers/FileSharing_June2005_final.pdf