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Theory into Practice: The Online Disinhibition Effect

You don't know me

Core Concept: Dissociative anonymity

The notion of "You Don't Know Me" comes down to simple anonymity: when the person remains anonymous, it provides a sense of protection; within the framework of the Internet, this allows the user to move about without any kind of indication of identity or even distinguishing characteristics other than potentially a username. This kind of protection can provide a meaningful release for people in that they feel free to say things they might otherwise be embarrassed to, but by the same token, it also provides an outlet for behaviors that others might term antisocial or harmful.

You can't see me

Core Concept: Invisibility

The Internet provides a shield to its users; often all one receives when interacting with another person on the Internet is a username or pseudonym that may or may not have anything to do with the real person behind the keyboard. This allows for misrepresentation of a person's true self; online a male can pose as a female and vice versa, for example. Additionally, the invisibility of the Internet prohibits people from reading standard social cues; small changes in facial expression, tone of voice, aversion of eyes, etc., all have specific connotations in normal face-to-face interaction.

This particular aspect overlaps heavily with anonymity, because the two often share attributes. However, even if one's identity is known and anonymity is removed from the equation, the inability to physically see the person on the other end causes one's inhibitions to be lowered. One can't be physically seen on the Internet, typically – therefore, the need to concern oneself with appearance and tone of voice is dramatically lowered and sometimes absent.

See you later

Core Concept: Asynchronicity

The asynchronous nature of the Internet can also affect a person's inhibitions. On internet message boards, conversations do not happen in real time. A reply may be posted as shortly as several minutes; however, it may take months or longer for someone to post. Because of this, it's easier for someone to "throw their opinions out" and then leave; a person can make a single post that might be considered very personal, emotionally charged, or inflammatory and then "run away" by simply not logging in again. In this way, the person achieves catharsis by "voicing" their feelings, even if the audience is just as invisible.

However, the asynchronous nature of the Internet also allows a person to more closely examine what they say and to more carefully choose their words; in this manner, someone who might otherwise have difficulty in face-to-face interactions can suddenly seem eloquent and well-mannered when reading message board posts or even in text-chat forums such as IRC or instant messaging.

It's all in my head

Core Concept: Solipsistic Introjection

Lacking any kind of visual face-to-face cues, the human mind will assign characteristics and traits to a "person" in interactions on the internet. Reading another person's message may insert imagined images of what a person looks like or sounds like into the mind, and mentally assigns an identity to these things. The mind will associate traits to a user according to our own desires, needs, and wishes – traits that the real person might not actually have.

Additionally, this allows fantasies to be played out in the mind, because the user may construct an elaborate system of emotions, memories, and images – inserting the user and the person they are interacting with into a role-play that helps reinforce the "reality" of the person on the other end within the mind of the user.

It's just a game

Core Concept: Dissociative Imagination

By combining solipsistic introjection with the imagination, a feeling of escapism is produced – a way to throw off mundane concerns to address a specific need without having to worry about consequences. According to Suler's personal discussion with lawyer Emily Finch (a criminal lawyer studying identity theft in cyberspace), Finch's observation is that people may see cyberspace as a kind of game where the normal rules of everyday interaction don't apply to them. In this way, the user is able to dissociate their online persona from the offline reality, effectively enabling that person to don that persona or shed it whenever they wish simply by logging on or off.

We're equals 

Core Concept: Minimizing Authority

Online, a person's status may not be known to others and often, this lack of hierarchy causes changes in interactions with others. If people can't see the user, others have no way to know if the user is an on-duty police officer, head of state, or some kind of "ordinary" person hanging out in their den on their computer. While real-world status may have a small effect on one's status on the Internet, it rarely has any true bearing. Instead, things such as communication skill, quality of ideas, persistence, and technical ability determine one's status in cyberspace.

Additionally, people can be reluctant to speak their minds in front of an authority figure. Fear of reprisal or disapproval quashes the desire to speak out, and on the Internet, levels of authority that might otherwise be present in real life are often completely absent; this turns what might otherwise be a superior-inferior relationship into a relationship of equals – and people are far more likely to speak their mind to an equal than a superior.

Theory into Practice: Augmented Reality

The augmented reality part of the publication will work by having part of publication which show how chelsea uses the internet to create her identity for example her profile page. Her online and constructed identity will be part of the printed publication then when the audience places and iPad or iPhone over the publication chealsea's real identity of Chelsea is revealed through the screen and truth is revealed.

Theory into Practice: Mirror Cover Mockup

I have mockup using photoshop what the cover of my publication could potentially look, the use of mirror will engage the audience directly and also the title written in the first person so it's like the publication is talking to you. 

To produce this I will use vinyl cut type applied to mirrored card.

Good is New York City: (Concept Research) 2.8 Hours Later

One of the concepts I have develop as part of my initial three concepts is the idea of way finding app in which users take a tour of new city using there phone and move from point to point but from one interesting location to another and these locations are out of the ordinary alike the places I have explored in my initial research about New York City, this is similar to the real world game called 2.8 hours laters.

What is 2.8 hours later?
Run. Understand that at every moment you are being hunted; by zombies, by police, by vigilantes. Starting from a secret border location, you are issued with a map and the address of the first location you must reach, somewhere in your quarantined city. Each location will immerse you further into the world of 2.8, where being bitten by a zombie doesn't just mean infection, it could mean quarantine. As you journey further into the game you uncover clues to the location of the mysterious Asylum. Once there, you will be scanned for infection – if you are infected you are transformed into one of the zombie horde. Asylum is a place of refuge for the infected and non infected alike, where both can live in harmony and get down at the Zombie Disco – THE party at the end of the world.

Theory into Practice: Concept Development

After the first crit and concept pitch, my ideas seemed to be well received however after a group discussion with the group, Richard and Fred I felt my ideas needed to be pushed forward and solidified in terms of making sure the publication related directly to an element of theory and making sure this was expressed within the publication in some form.

As a starting point to this process I again referred back to my essay and made a list of the key points explored in essay, I then made a list of common themes and topics that were explored in my essay and finally a lost of the concepts I had developed I then aimed to triangulate these three aspects into one solid concept that explore both theory and practice.

I have also been conducting some further research into the internet and identity that is not directly related to my essay content and have a found a theory known as The online disinhibition effect which is a series of six principles that relate to way in which people interact online. These 6 principles link to my analysis of Chelsea's use of the internet. I have linked each of these 6 principles elements of my essay which explore the theories put forward by the online disinhibition effect again showing triangulation between my essay, this research and the publication and how the three link together.

The concept at this stage now is to developed both a printed and a digital publication which details the online disinhibition effect and how this effects the way people behave online. The printed publication will features the explanation of the online disinhibition effect and also gives examples of how chelsea demonstrates these through her online behaviour. however the ipad component will be introduced by the ipad showing elements of chelsea's personality aren't real.

I have always started to mock up digital how this will look in terms of design. I am going to use a black and white colour scheme to keep the publication clear and simple but also to demonstrate the contrast between online and offline identity.