Depending on who you are Facebook friends with, you may or may not of noticed the celebration of Doppelgängers on Facebook. A doppelgänger is a ghostly double or counterpart of a living person. This past week people change their Facebook profile picture to a celebrity that have been told to resemble. This craze was started by Bob Patel who said he was inspired by his friends teasing him about looking like Tom Selleck.

So what does this obsession with finding our “double goer” really tell us about ourselves? That we are a self important society who thrives on the next opportunity for identity play? I think so. Doppelgänger week has given the digital generation and the Facebook community a reason to become even more self-involved. We can ask our friends who we look like and brag via picture on how Myhertiage (which crashed by the way) said we are the exact replica of Brad Pitt. We are a society who needs constant feedback and engagement. We are a society who loves ourselves. According to ABCNews we are more likely to vote for a political candidate who resembles us. And while this self love can potentially be dangerous (can you say racism, sexism) it isn’t all bad. This constant self-involvement makes us a more critical generation, a more aware generation, a more collaborative generation (contrary to our natural impulses), and a more creative generation. We are the generations of multitasking and critical thinking. While we are picking out our celebrity counterpart we are also contemplating the societal meanings behind it.

Other than our desire for self love, Doppelgänger week is just another excuse for good old fashion identity play, the kind where we can express a specific facade of ourselves that is usually unexplored. One Facebook status on my newsfeed claimed, “People are being a little too generous to themselves with this Doppelganger week thing.” This statement embodies the spirit of explorative identity play that we as a people partake in so often online. All in all, Doppelganger week promotes self love and gives us a chance to “unleash” new sides of our personality. The metaphor of a glass bedroom is a recurring theme in the life of social networking sites. Doppelgänger week is just one example of many.

attributed to @wwwhatsnew

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Rebecca Pearson discusses the ever apparent and obvious role of identity play in web 2.0 (specifically SNS) in “All the World Wide Web’s a stage: The Performances of identity in online social networks”. I find identity play one of the most useful and fascinating concepts social networking/media sites. One can appear professional and structured to their occupational audience, and still have Facebook albums with certain privacy settings displaying their nightlife. This strategic compartmentalization is one of the strongest examples of ‘authentic’ identity play. You can display all the sides of yourself that you want, and direct a certain perception of yourself to a specific audience. With the web you really can have it all.

2010 has some great opportunities for new forms of identity play. GPS trackers have been pretty mainstream for awhile now. There are many tracking systems in cars and Google maps systems in airplanes. Location and tracking systems are the new norm. Last year the location based social networking site, Foursquare came out. Though not the first of its kind, it is one of the most popular location sites out there. It is a mobile application where people use GPS navigation to “check in”. Sites like Gowalla (which came out in 2007) and Foursquare allow individuals to gather badges which they visit certain places and gain points. On Foursquare you can become a mayor if you visit a place often enough.

Mashable even predicted that location would the next hot thing in 2010. Besides the obvious dangers that tracking systems present (I can save that for another blog post)
These tracking sites allow for identity play and manipulate of one’s online appearance. You chose the places that you publicly check into and the places that you decide to leave “off the grid”. Theoretically you wouldn’t even have to physically be in location you are checking into-just in the general area People can chose to check into places that they are merely walking by or are next door to. An attention loving friend of mine actually checked into multiple clubs on Foursquare that she was across the street from in attempts to get a rise out of an ex boyfriend. She never even stepped foot into the places, but since she was close enough the GPS allowed her to check in. Her online outcry is just one possibility for identity play with the new location phenomenon.

Pearson states that the digital age has a “heightened self–consciousness”. And we do. We are so very aware of each picture that we are tagged in and what our “mood” displays. Location based sites allow this personalization and self molding to evolved even further. Aside from the convenience of having another medium of knowing where your peers are, sites like Foursquare and Gowalla are just different systems of exploring online identity play and shifting perception.

In chronological order, here are the Webbys’ Top 10:

• Craigslist expands beyond San Francisco (2000): When the free classifieds site broadened its reach into nine more cities, it began a major shift away from newspaper classifieds, according to the Webbys. Craigslist now hosts listings in more than 500 cities in 50 countries.

• Google AdWords launches (2000): The Webbys say the launch of Google’s self-service ad program opened up the online marketplace, allowed advertisers to better target their customers and, in short, “turned advertising on its head.”

• Wikipedia launches (2001): The free, open-source encyclopedia now has more than 14 million articles in 271 languages with 20,000 of those coming in the first year. The Webbys credit Wikipedia with being an early example of strangers from around the world coming together to collaborate on projects.

• Napster shuts down (2001): Although the controversial file-sharing site bemoaned by many in the recording industry shut down in 2001, the Webbys note that it opened up the floodgates. Hulu, iTunes and other legal sites followed, as did downloading songs from less reputable sites and artists releasing their music exclusively online.

• Google’s IPO (2004): One of the largest stock offerings in history put the search engine on the path to becoming what the Webbys call “the most dominant and influential company of the decade.” Gmail, YouTube, Google Earth, Google Maps and Android would all follow.

• Online video revolution (2006): Faster bandwidth, cheaper camcorders and YouTube’s use of Adobe’s Flash 9 video player combine to make online video explode. “The trifecta led to a boom in homemade and professional content – the Diet Coke and Mentos guys, lonelygirl15, SNL’s Lazy Sunday, and Sen. George Allen’s “Macaca-gate” — that has reshaped everything from pop culture to politics,” the Webbys write.

• Facebook opens up, Twitter takes off (2006): In September, Facebook expands from only college students to anyone older than 13. Almost overnight, social networking went mainstream. Less than a month later, Twitter’s owners acquire the company, paving the way for the service to take off the following year.

• The iPhone debuts (2007): It was released on June 29, 2007, and by the end of the weekend a half-million had been sold. The phone from Apple has inspired a slew of other smartphones and an app for just about every aspect of modern life.

• U.S. presidential campaign (2008): The Internet “altered presidential politicking in 2008 much as television had forty years earlier,” according to the Webby list. “Obama Girl” and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s controversial sermons helped shape the debate, social networking helped mobilize volunteers and voters and online fundraising shattered records.

• Iranian election protests (2009): When Iran’s power structure announced dubious results from its presidential election, the opposition took to social networking and the “Twitter Revolution” was born. The Web let protesters beam images from the chaotic country at a time when mainstream media outlets had been severely hampered. Twitter became so fundamental in spreading news of the protests that followed that the U.S. State Department asked the company to delay a planned shutdown for maintenance, the Webbys note.

As a social network junkie I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a secret rush when I find I have several new Twitter follows or I get a direct message from someone I respect. I have often been victim to this sense of anxiety over what Christine Rosen refers to as “status seeking” in the article “Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism”. I have experienced this feeling of urgency in wanting to brand myself a certain way on Twitter so I am prepared for potential networking opportunities that may arise or when asking for a flattering testimonial on LinkediN.

While a great deal of my SNS activity is self-induced, I feel it affecting my life differently than previously. While before my personal endeavors were more for personal satisfied now I feel pressure to perform a certain way. For example, I recently had an interview where the interviewer asked me how many followers I had on twitter. This was considered a serious qualification. Another interviewer added me on Facebook before we even met. This was uncomfortable because I felt like I was being seized up in an unfair setting. At times I have felt like I am just trying to stay afloat in the vast sea of my online entities. I have asked myself the most absurd, but sadly relevant of questions: What if my potential employee doesn’t like grunge or metal ? Will that effect if I get the job or now ? Will my favorite movie offend her ? The possibilities are endless. Like what if she finds this blog ? I even know journalism students who have been discouraged from displaying their religious or political views on SNS sites. Is the price for gaining “digital neighbors” too much ? I think this is even more damaging than misrepresenting oneself online, as Rosen argues.

SNS sites use to be places were people went to unleash their alter egos or strengthen/create friendships. Now these sites have evolved into places where people feel pressure to present their selves a certain way. With employers, co-workers, and other professional contacts start friending individuals on SNS sites that were previously used for social reason, these sites become volatile.

I am now feel like I am obligated to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of my online profile. If I put too many interests I may seem unforced or cluttered, but if I don’t put enough than I may appear one dimensional. This constant struggle of balancing a personal and professional image online is exhausting. This takes all the fun out the site. I know just feel like I am trying to sell myself, and it is not fun.

Don’t get me wrong, the networking that is available on SNS sites is invaluable, but I still am reluctant to forgo the personal aspects of my online profiles. I feel like I am being robbed of something because these awkward connections on SNS sites exist. For instance, I am friends with woman on a scholarship committee ( I am recipient of this scholarship), my mom’s friends, my ex boyfriend’s mom, and a previous supervisor. These are just a few examples of my uncomfortable online relationships. I am friends with these people to avoid outside hassles, but they force me to compartmentalize my online life. I am mildly bitter about this “evolution” , but I predict that I will slowly weed online the private aspects of my online life (as I have been) and shift more towards the professional.

http://mashable.com/2009/04/08/social-media-recruitment/

The Obama Administration is known for being technologically savvy and enlisting the masses through social networking tools. This legacy continued this weekend when the Administration moved the White House Web site to run on open source system. The White House is now running on the open source Drupual content management system and Apache Solr search server.

This will produce an even more interactive White House. Drupual will support blogs, comments, polls, and user profiles. This is a huge opportunity to engage citizens in interacting with the Administration. The social components to this switch allow for dialogue and conversation to ensue in an almost Democratic way. While in theory this open source switch seems like it will promote more access into the policy and government, it could be potentially restricting like we have seen with the evolution of Wikis.

Not everyone has access to a forms capable browser and language still presents a barrier. Even though the White House does have a Spanish version of their Web site, it lacks new updates and substance. Spanish speakers are the fastest growing population in the US so the White House Web site should reflect this.

Despite potential problems, the develop of open source is a step in the right direction for the government in terms of embracing new technology and engaging citizens in new meida.

“Now it is time to extend the power of individuals to stimulate the mission of government”

Perhaps you’ve noticed the their ad campaign plastered all over the metro recently. Adobe has taken on an open government campaign, and pledged to hold the current administration accountable for their promises of transparency. There is a lot of talk about government interference or regulation in the internet, but I think it is interesting to note a software that develops internet applications’ interference in the government.

Adobe has been responsible for much of the administration’s interactivity online. Hillary Clinton’s address to the European Parliament was broadcasted by the State Department and Obama’s Town Hall meeting in Turkey were both available online for citizens to watch, comment, and ultimately interact with through Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro.

* Screen Shots from Adobe Blog

Adobe is even hosting a free conference on election day in DC to promote open government.

I find this participation in helping government to achieve openness an interesting contrast to the usual concern about government’s big bother activity online. This action is in response to Obama’s memo on transparency in government being achieved through technology.