I am by no means an “expert” in the online social scene but over the years, since back when AOL was “pay-by-the-minute” that there is a vast personality difference. Almost as if when a person sits behind a keyboard an alter ego emerges. I begin to think that in the face of other people that we wear masks for whatever the situation calls for. At work we can have out our serious-focused mask on, at home we can have on our passive-aggressive one on, but behind the keyboard is it another mask that we don or is it all masks off and the true nature emerges?
In general, my time interacting with other people online has been pleasant, short of the adolescent interaction where “flaming” seems to be the norm. From time to time I have come across, typically from the male gender, those who posses the evil alter ego. Not caring for the feelings of the person on the other end of the computer. Could this just be the suppressed nature that is being held back from a day of wearing masks that just pours out when the mask comes off? If so, then it would seem to me that this would be a highly potent version of a person’s true nature.
There is something that I have noticed that gives this true nature overload and interesting twist. Inflection is removed when words are put into text. Some of it can be reintroduced by punctuation, the usage of words, or REALLY emphasizing, but for the most part the inflection comes from the interpretation of the readers mind. So now it becomes impression vs. interpretation.
It would be nice if human nature could be categorized this easily. With all the tiny nuances of personality, society, and genetics it creates a battlefield of socialization. Something that I keep in the forefront of my mind during my online interaction is that we are connected to vast world of people and in today’s connected media the choices are to great to linger over evil alter egos. This street goes both ways in my given and taken perception. Since it is my personal opinion, and from given feedback, that I have a fairly descent personality that I try to portray as much as possible keeping in mind that it is just as easy for me to come across in the wrong way as it is for me to misunderstand others.
