Virtual Identity

In last week’s class, our guest speaker Erik discussed the many aspects of one’s online identity. This was a very thought-provoking discussion as Erik explained that the virtual world is constantly moving closer toward reality while the real world is constantly becoming more virtualized.

Erik definitely has some very progressive ideas when it comes to embracing new interactive online technologies. I found it incredibly surprising that someone with such widespread knowledge about privacy issues in the virtual world would so widely embrace these many technologies and services. In fact, Erik even goes so far as to allow his cell phone to be tracked by any visitor to his personal website at any time. Additionally, any visitor to his website can see if and when he or his wife is online.

Perhaps he does this just to show skeptics that the internet is somewhat safe. Personally, I think he is saying that most people already have a vast amount of private information already publically available on the internet. I think Erik is simply taking control of what information is available (albeit a pretty liberal policy on which information to make public) to the public.

Erik is definitely successful in making a clear point: we are largely limiting our virtual potential and abilities by not fully embracing virtual identities because of privacy concerns. I think he is definitely right to some degree. Employers like to try to block individuals from using Facebook at work for example. They go to great lengths to accomplish this, at a very high expense. Ultimately this only leads to poor employee morale and fosters a culture which looks to beat the system by any means necessary. Erik explains however that these services exist and are a significant part of many individual’s lives today. Therefore, companies simply can’t pretend that Facebook doesn’t exist. Instead, Erik explained that employers must separate true human resource issues from other issues (Facebook, etc.) which are beyond the company’s control.

I definitely can’t say that I’m going to start allowing anyone with an internet connection to be able to freely track my location at any given time. I still think that’s a completely insane idea. I do however have a much different perspective on what my virtual identity is, what it means to me, and how it is evolving. It definitely seems plausible that the only solution to the problems associated with new disruptive virtual technologies which we’ve been discussing all semester may be most effectively addressed by accepting them, embracing them, and using them to create value in our professional and personal lives.