Digital Final Thoughts

Final thoughs on digital identities

Internet users in many part of the world present themselves in many ways through websites, blogs, email, and forums. Each online medium differs in the amount of identity information that users can reveal and the amount of information observers use to form identity impressions. Users express and present themselves based on what they want to present, how much they want to present, and on the environmental factors in which they live. The environment in which one lives influences the content or intent of a website or blog. The intent ranges from identity presentation to identity management. The technology of the internet allows users to experiment with this range and the identities within themselves to create meaning that is continuously evolving.


For additional reading: Not every society is allowed to freely self-express and experiment with identity. China has implemented regulatory internet laws that censor content and block websites that contain objectionable material. The government, with cooperation from internet service providers (ISP), search engines, and content providers, censors websites, blogs, forums, bulletin boards, and email. Google and Yahoo, now in China, have rewritten their policies and programs to follow China’s regulations. Internet users are forced to censor the information that is included on their personal websites and blogs that are used for self-expression. If users do not comply, they loose internet connection or are imprisoned.

Other Reading:
Blocking of Wikipedia in mainland China
Google to censor itself in China, CNN.com
Internet censorship gathers steam, CNN.com







Yang, K. C. C. (2007). A comparative study of internet regulatory policies in the Greater China Region: Emerging regulatory models and issues in China, Hong-Kong SAR, and Taiwan. Telematics & Informatics, 24, 30-40.