Internet celebrityism
One's online reputation is similar to the conventional concept of reputation, but in cyberspace. In cyberspace, reputations can be easily made due to the high transfer of information. But they can also be easily broken, due to the lingering, semi-permanent nature of the world wide web, especially the general existence of sockpuppets (easily created pseudonyms).
An online reputation is often achieved while in a pseudonymous state. A digital reputation can be useful in Situations where credibility must be established, but exposure of one's real life identity is undesirable or possibly hazardous.
A good example of this is in the novel Ender's Game, in which Peter and Valentine utilize their pseudonymity to great effect on the most influential political discussion forums, despite their youth.
It should be noted that online reputations usually have a lessened impact on the lives of their holders than a conventional reputation; a person's online reputation rarely extends beyond the forum they post in and as such is somewhat insulated from their life in the "real" world. Whilst a person with a ruined reputation in reality may face a range of problems as a result, destruction of an online reputation GeneRally does not have the same effects.
See also
- on-line and off-line
- Online identity
- Reputation
- Cipherspace
- Digital signature