Identity in virtual communities

Abstract

The usability of Collaborative Virtual Environments is a function of technical affordances with the implicit and explicit intentions of users. Intentions can be revealed by 'cyborg ethnography' -- a close examination of interactions and conversations conducted in CVE's. Three CVE's were examined ethnographically and it is found that social conventions develop around the theme of producing identity. However, there is doubt that such conventions constitute evidence of a 'virtual' social system.