Sarah Perez of ReadWriteWeb.com wrote an article about the end of online anonymity in favor of a one-size-fits all online presence for individuals. OpenID provides one user name, and one login for a variety of sites. On the OpenID website, it’s announced that Facebook is a member. (I guess that explains the various post to Facebook links I see everywhere.)
Perez argues that its anonymity that loses out, assuming we were all that anonymous to begin with. She suggests that, “the only way to prevent reputations from being damaged in the process is to always ‘be on your best behavior; in public. Frankly, that’s no fun. No more wild boys nights out? No more getting silly and stupid with your friends? No – not unless you’re willing to live with the consequences of having it plastered online in the morning.”
I know I’ve thought about what this means in terms of my public and private behavior, which sadly will or has already changed to reflect the digital trail I’ve been leaving. As she states, “Like reality TV show contestants, the act of being observed will change our behavior. Our personal brand image will become our public identity and therefore our identity.”
Article here.