I have always considered the ability to have multiple online identities as a useful tool in life. It allows me to practice selective online branding, a skill which I am certain is crucial in this ever changing online world, where everything we do is monitored and the shroud of anonymity is slowly wearing off.
Benefits of having multiple online identities
With regards in managing online identities, one can easily create a separate and new entity for themselves to serve a specific purpose. For example, in the context of this module #MANG2049, we are going to be taught on how to create a digital profile. Where various digital platforms encompassing of ‘LinkedIn’, ‘Twitter’, ‘Blogs’ and ‘Instagram’ will be established to selectively show ourselves to strangers. The goal is to create and portray a desired image of ourselves to potential employers. As the saying goes “What you can see, is what we showed you”, this can be applied to the online platform with great effectiveness compared to real life. This can be done with tools like ‘Tor’ where anonymity can be skillfully skewed in the advantage of the user.
With multiple online identities, one can also have access to larger social circles. Now the ability to be someone and anyone without the stigma of personal details being tethered online, facilitates the process of creating “fake” identities for the user to join different communities (Masters, 2011).
Downside of having multiple online identities
A powerful tool will definitely have its drawbacks, with the ability to create different personas online, one can easily abuse it to partake in unethical activities. Such activities includes “Catfishing”, where fake identities are made to trick people into having a relationship with them.
With multiple online identities, a substantial amount of effort is needed into maintaining and managing them. Without it, the entire concept can easily backfire and inflict irreparable “harm” to ones reputation. This is one of the reasons why people avoid having multiple online identities as it causes “too much pressure” (Bychawski, 2013).
Conclusion
In my personal opinion, I strongly believe that one should learn the skill of selective online branding in regards to multiple identities, being a marketer myself, the importance of personal branding echoes within me and I would definitely treat my online identities as method of advertising. Although a great deal of effort is needed to maintain and manage it, “I’m not telling you its going to be easy, I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it!” -Art Williams.
(415 words)
References
Masters, A. (2011). Identity on the Internet: The pros and cons of anonymity | | Independent Editor’s choice Blogs. [online] Blogs.independent.co.uk. Available at:http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/09/19/identity-on-the-internet-the-pros-and-cons-of-anonymity/ [Accessed 02 Nov. 2015].
Bychawski, A. (2013) Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner explains why he is not on Twitter. Accessed 02/11/15 fromhttp://www.nme.com/news/arctic-monkeys/73467
Useful links on key words
http://lifehacker.com/5854203/how-to-create-a-fake-identity-and-stay-anonymous-online
https://www.torproject.org/projects/torbrowser.html.en
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2012/apr/19/online-identity-authenticity-anonymity
risetorule.wordpress.com 
Hi Clinton,
Firstly, I respect your stand of “multiple online identities as a useful tool in life”. Not that I disagree with your viewpoint, however from another standpoint, would it be wise if every individuals were to adopt multiple online identities?
From the marketer perspective, this will post challenges in obtaining the right information from your target customers as they had various online identities and marketers will be required to connect all the disconnected identities in order to gather the full information.
Moreover, selected students created a new twitter account on top of their personal twitter account for this module. Would this action post a challenge to data collection and how can marketers minimize their chance of targeting the wrong consumer as some might create fake identities online.
Lastly, feel free to discuss and I look forward to your constructive opinions!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hey Wei Jie,
First and foremost thanks for your comment, I totally agree with you that having multiple online identities will be a very big obstacle in the marketing scene!
I being a marketer myself can understand where your coming from in regards to targeting consumers that have multiple identities. Now that I think of it, it’s definitely very challenging in finding a solution for this problem.
The thought that comes to my mind now is that being a marketer, the resources and time needed to tackle this “problem” of multiple online identities can be rather costly and would engender a low ROI. What i would suggest is instead of trying to do data mining on consumer segments that prefers the use of multiple identities. Why not focus more on the needs of such consumers based on their lifestyle.
Maybe we can segment people with multiple online identities in a category where we find a common pattern of needs among them. For example, people who have multiple online identities can be assumed to be in the area of a digital “resident” where by a lot of time is spent online. “people that spend a lot of time online”, this could be a general trait a person with multiple online identities may have that in which could help marketers
If your looking for a solution to pinpoint the online behavior of people with multiple identities, in the current age of technology,where there are so much tools to hide your anonymity, it is almost impossible to achieve such a feat.
I hope i answered your question and hope you have a great day ahead!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Clinton,
Thanks for the kind and excellent reply to my comment. I do agree that segmenting the people will allow the organization to function better as there will be a refined group of target consumer.
Moreover as mentioned in my reflective summary for topic 2, with the rise in trend of multiple online identities this allows more users to become digital residents and be expose to more knowledge of the latest technologies.
Lastly, thanks for taking your valuable time in replying to my comment and I wish you all the best for Topic 3. Let’s take on this exciting challenge ahead of us together as a class.
LikeLike
Hello Clinton!
Your post has helped me to understand a new perspective of having multiple identities as a tool to brand ourselves to potential employers and strangers out there rather than just having clear distinctions that serve different purposes.
Your own online presence that you came out with definitely is easy to understand and I believe most of us have the similar online presence as well.
Other than just branding ourselves to attract potential employers, you may want to also evaluate it from the point of Business-to-Consumer (B2C) ecommerce environment, by how businesses make use of the “brand” we give ourselves to market their products to us. Do you think that by treating your online identities as only an advertising tool for yourself, advertisers themselves will be able to effectively market their products to you as a consumer?
Looking forward to your opinions!
Cheers!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hey Junning!
Thanks for your comment! I am elated that my post had helped you into understanding a new perspective on this topic.
In retrospect to the overall topic, I feel that advertisers will have a very hard time in trying to effectively market their products to a person who practices selective online branding.
This is due to the fact that there is a chance, that the image the person is portraying may be false and irrelevant to their own real life. This is a hurdle for advertisers as they face difficulties in targeting and identifying the traits and behavior of such people.
I hope that helped, if you are in need of more information, try referring to the reply to Wei Jie’s comment. I believe his train of thoughts are similar to your stated question.
As always, have a great day ahead!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pingback: Topic 2: Summary & Comments | YJunNing
Pingback: Topic 2 – Reflective Summary | Believe you can and you’re halfway there. –Theodore Roosevelt
Hi Clinton, what an engaging post
your post give me new thought how multiple identities actually could also create a greater connection as u can be whoever you want to be and it could give us competitive advantages in marketing ourselves.
On your conclusion, you mention you will do selective online branding. Could you define more how you will do this? Looking forward for your reply, cheers !
LikeLike
Pingback: Topic 2 – Reflective Summary | silvianasutanto
Pingback: Clinton’s Guide to Online Greatness |
Pingback: A wonderful journey to be continued… | Hui Min