Networks such as Facebook and Twitter, to name a few of the most commonly used, act as representatives for those people who trust them their personal information-and that’s basically everyone. Slogans such as “[this network] helps you connect and share with the people in your life”, and “Share and discover what’s happening right now, anywhere in the world” serve as advertising agents that ultimately get the public, people like you and me, to let them put a label over their names, shaping their own identity into one that has been modified by the presets and labels of those networks. As a result, a big part of who those users are, is deliberately taken away from the eyes of other interface users. Furthermore, our image is defined through the agenda of those networks; that seems to be the price for having a ‘window’ open to the world for the purpose of social networking.

The phenomenon of social networks also tends to put a brand on the type of person you are. I think that each network defines it’s own range of users. For example, people who are on Myspace, are often thought to be connected to the arts. Now, I myself have a Myspace account but I never give it out or use it because every time I did in the past, people would expect me to be in a band or be somewhat related to one, and I really wasn’t. However my actual reason for being on Myspace, is that I feel identified by some of the bands that can be found there. In that instance social networks prove to be successful platforms for people with specific interests to mingle and find a forum for interaction that is really relevant to a member’s needs. Now, let’s say you were to bump into the picture below, which you just have. To me that would be unfortunate because you’ll probably take this impression of me that is almost completely shaped by a social network, in this case, Myspace. I’ll tell you how this happens in more specific detail:

Screenshot of my profile

First of all, my myspace page plays host to a huge TD banner right atop which doesn’t have anything to do with me. I deal with a different bank. No one I know deals with TD. So that’s that. Then if you keep scanning this image for hints as to whose this profile might be, you’ll notice that is someone who is on Myspace, and then you can finally see my name and a picture of me. And that is pretty much how it goes with every social network out there. Each of them has their own way of letting you present yourself to the world, a template, set of colours, fonts, and specific information that they hope will define who you are.

On top of that they own your data, all your pictures, videos and blurbs, and the comments that people have posted, which tend to make your data have a higher value. In other words, they allow your data to have social value but not only do they have your data under their belt, but your data now has a social value that only exists for as long as you maintain an account with them.

With this blurb, I am hoping to raise some questions about social identity. I’m sure solutions such as open source networks will emerge, but meanwhile is important to be aware of how we use the technologies that are available right now.