For week 3 of EME6414 we shifted our focus to the way that communities, or Personal Learning Networks are developed through social media use  I began the readings for the week by diving into Vanessa Dennen's work Constructing academic alter-egos: identity issues in a blog-based community. In the article Dennen argues that interactions on blogging communities becomes an instance of exploring ones own identity. While individuals may approach these blogs with different goals, as they engage with that community and seek things like status and reputation with the group they are simultaneously constructing their identity. Not only is this a necessary part of interacting in this forum, but it is also an important part of attracting readers to one content. Dennen is particularly interested in pseudonymous blogging among academics, something she refers to as “Blogademe”, by focusing on six key elements of the blogging process, namely “(1) Name and blog title; (2) Profiles; (3) Post content; (4) Voice; (5) Affiliations; and (6) Visual design”. Although written under a pseudonym, many individuals upon meeting a fellow blogger note that they were able to find that persons online voice lurking somewhere beneath the surface of their face-face persona, even if they are often surprised by their physical appearance.

            Interestingly, the pseudonymous nature of the writing provides some safety, but not total safety, for the author, Many of the bloggers feel that others know who they are, although they reported feeling comfortable enough to share things online in this space that they normally would not share. Yet, others noted that pseudonymity was more of a fake safe device.

            One aspect of the article that peaked my interest was the finding that most of the individuals participating in this online space were honest about the key aspects of their identity. Dennen says, “Thus, if some bloggers are, in fact, posing as someone significantly different from themselves (e.g. a 15 year old male high school student pretending to be a 35 year old female professor) then they are doing so incredibly well, and those who blog with them are not tremendously concerned about this issue.”  While most surveyed said that they were not particularly concerned about uncovering the details of the person blogging, at least one person mentioned that it was the coherence of voice that was important. In other words, it was important that the different aspects of the blog as a whole came from the same source that gave the individual pieces their legitimacy.