Identity and user behavior in online communities

Abstract

In online communities, people share and discuss information at all levels of topic sensitivity. Identity policies within these communities range from real names to anonymity. The amount of user engagement, the quality of the information, disinformation behavior (e.g., trolling) may differ under different types of identity, which is currently unclear. Most of these online communities have a mechanism of content moderation. The relationship between identity and moderation is also unclear. Finally, yet little is known about how and why people make decisions of self-disclosure in online communities. My dissertation research aims to deepen our understanding of identity and user behavior in online communities. My research will benefit privacy researchers, online social network designers, policymakers, and researchers in the field of Human-Computer Interaction who study online identity and social media.