Wired 4.10: Universal Personality
By Gerben de Graaf
“The terrestrial sphere we live on is wrapped in thousands of invisible strands of data, endlessly pouring from its surface. All of these strings of data are parts of who we are, and who we seem to be.
When you create a homepage on the Web, that page becomes part of your “universal personality,” a personality made up of all representations of you in any actual, virtual, or other worlds – and of the different ways everyone has perceived you.
Image-building is precarious. Once someone observes a virtual – or actual – part of you, it is inextricably part of you. It doesn’t matter whether this part is truly representative of your being.
For now, the only solution is to present yourself as completely as possible. Presenting your data well is presenting yourself well.
Gerben de Graaf (www.euronet.nl/users/gdegraaf) is editor of the online publication News from the Field.”
The item above is a complete “Idees Fortes” from WiReD while it still had strong ideas… this one from October 1996 The great thing is you can click through all the old issues.
“Presenting your data well is presenting yourself well.”
Interesting on the theme of identity that has run through this blog and my mind over the last few weeks. Of course my cyber explorations of ID relate to my personal life. I am getting more set in my ways, more able to stick with the lines of my character which like the wrinkles in my face wont go away but will only get deeper and mor clearly defined. What choice do have but to accept these lines – ruts even – but with grace?