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Monday, January 25, 2010

Part I: Online Identity. WHY?


Believe it or not, if anyone should write about this, maybe I’m fit enough to do so. Actually I have written about this before but back then, it’s not the right time to publish it. Now I feel the needs to do so. I want to write a new one, very very spontaneous now, and hopefully to the point.

Cyberworld, a word of illusion to some people. It’s virtual and not reality. Now I am in my blog, a space where I put my writings for other people to see. The platform is in the virtual world. Something you can see, but you can’t touch. Most of my readers are also those who come to this so-called illusion world. It’s here people, that you and I first met. And here we are, still enjoying and appreciating what’s good that we can share together.

Meeting in virtual world gets more exciting when people who are strangers, got to talk in chatrooms. They are using many kinds of nicks, from cute to strange. IRC is fun because we can see the list of nicks and simply click which one we want to initiate chat with. We always do it randomly at first, and then we start to have preferences. We spot some nicks that has that “aura” and attraction to maybe know the chatter better. Yes you may. This is your right.
Let me talk about your OTHER right. You are under NO laws or regulation that YOU MUST identify yourself as who you are in your IC (as registered by NRD) so that other people know it’s you who are typing something. IRC/virtual world isn’t a political association where you MUST list all your details so the other members know who you are.

So whoever wants to go to virtual world, they use different kind of approach. Some of them use virtual world as “another part of reality” where they still talk and discuss things with the people they meet everyday. Some of them do it totally the opposite. They want to be half anonymous – let only the real life friends know who they are and let the strangers remain strangers. And the other kind is those who totally treat this world as “another world” who is a separate world from reality; where EVERYONE is anonymous. Even if he might come across his real life friends or family, he wants to still stay anonymous. Whichever they choose, can you deny their freedom? Or can others deny your freedom? If you say yes, then present us which acts are you referring to.

Back in 2008, a few months after I started chatting on IRC, I’ve been using this nick. I just picked this nick very randomly. It’s just lucky that this 3-digit hit me first and so – I just typed /nick Twofivesix[256] and then because I could just join the chatroom without people really care how long I parked there, I just felt like, Hey, I think I’m gonna register this nick. My mind was THAT simple, my dear friends. If you think that I already sketched a plot how I would do it in 3 years in cyberworld – you are WRONG. Nothing is ever planned. Trust me I have better things to do.

I first came as a real flirt in the chatroom. I just enjoyed having fun with creative conversation and dragging more and more people to talk about a topic and have a good time laughing. Exactly why I came to the virtual world, in the first place. But then, the more familiar I become, the more personal it is for some people who think that they want to know me more. Then lesser that I care about it, the more curious these people become. Then some of the have made the moves to start digging Who is that Twofivesix[256]. I wasn’t that “strict” with my online identity policy actually. I told you I didn’t plan this at all. I do what's cool. Finally someone from the virtual world got my phone number and speak to me on the phone.

Twofivesix[256], Give me Your Freaking Picture!!! Maybe too tired of waiting, finally someone blurted it out. So fine, I actually MMSed my pic to the person and guess what, he told me he could have won a bet over my picture. And not enough with that, someone violated the law by digging my full name and IC number using my mobile number from some insiders of the telco company which service I use – just to check if this Twofivesix[256] is real or she’s just bluffing about her details? Thanks, cos the person proves that what I told him was all truth. He had to say “Sorry [256], I doubted you.” What do you guys think I would feel?

...to be continued in PART II

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