The photograph I use to identify myself in the Fedora Commons network and in other social networks is, well, sort of real. If you ran into me on the street you would learn that I am not purple and red. Some might argue that this photo misrepresents me (a good thing in my view). I would say in favor of graphic obfuscation that it allows me to broadcast an image that looks somewhat like me while not going in the complete opposite direction--using generic images like "sunset over the ocean" as visual identifiers. These types of representations make me feel like I am supposed to be able come up with an impression of a person from a random photograph. One of the many conundrums in social networks is that we want to be friendly, open and personally engaging to foster collaboration and connection while at the same time protecting the few shreds of personal privacy that we have left out there on Web 2.0 in 2008.
Creatively enhanced images work very well as personal visual identifiers. Here are some ideas: invite a second-grader to create a whimsical portrait of you that can be scanned, use artistic filtering tools to turn realistic digital photographs into digital works of art, draw a digital self-portrait of your own, or use an out-of-date photograph from the family archives. These techniques will make you "personable" online, and yet slightly mysterious at the same time. Who wouldn't want to work with someone like that?
Beyond images, there are people who proudly point to the fact that they are not referenced on the Web, and who put effort into keeping themselves off the Web. A Google query on most peoples' names, however, usually turns up something. I even found an infamous great grandfather of mine, who I knew nothing about, on the cover of a 1928 TIme Magazine. How should a reasonable person participate in useful professional networks and just plain fun social spots on the Web?
Easily discoverable personal profiles on MySpace and Facebook often reveal enough to leave some of us wondering how these folks will ever find gainful employment (this stuff stays around, and often multiplies, for a long time). Hoping for a first date does not seem like a good enough reason to tell the world-at-large a lot more than almost anyone would feel compelled to share when actually on a first date. It is possible to construct a generic personal profile that both explains who you are and what you are interested in without telling all PII (Personally Identifiable Information, Wikipedia article).
According to Wikipedia here are some items that should not be added to personal profiles in professional or social networking sites:
- Full name (if not common)
- National identification number
- Telephone number
- Street address
- E-mail address
- IP address (in some cases)
- Vehicle registration plate number
- Driver's license number
- Face, fingerprints, or handwriting
- Credit card numbers
- Digital identity
So skip lots of fields, have fun with your digital footprint, and be sure to register to add information and ideas (and a personal visual identifying image) to the new Fedora Commons Wiki.