Home
Home

Who are you? An Exploration of Identity at the Edge of Tech

The 2008 Online Journalism Class at the University of Western Ontario looks at how technology changes our identity and our idea of identity.

Are you facebook profile? The sum total of all your Twitter? Is your status message really your state of mind, your avatar how you really look? Do your Seesmic videos and You Tube clips capture the real you? Are your texts your thoughts? Your flickr pictures how you see the world? Your blog, your life? Really? Who are you?

This multi-part, multimedia series takes on the issue of identifying identity when human beings can engage in the real world and project themselves, or pieces of themselves into virtual worlds, virtual communities and virtual conversations with increasing ease.

Each episode will contain a podcast on the rabble podcast network, a video clip on rabbletv and rabble's You Tube channel and a feature story right here on rabble.ca. Look for new episodes each week over the next three months.

Who are we? We're over three dozen students in the Online Journalism program and the University of Western Ontario. We're learning to tell great stories, new ways. Hope you like these.

on rabble.ca

Citizen Journalists - Who are they and why do they do it? | Mar 26 2009 | rabbleTV | <span>This group takes a look at the history of citizen journalism and explores who citizen journalists are and what motivates them to take part in alternative media.</span>
Do-it-yourself journalism: Media in a digital age | Mar 26 2009 | Chris Montanini, Ethan Rabidoux, Jesse Reynolds, Rich Garton, Steve Bull | In this day and age, technology enables anyone to assume the identity of a citizen journalist.
Honesty in online dating | Mar 22 2009 | rabbleTV | <p>Western University journalism students investigate peoples' experiences in online dating.</p>
Truth and lies in online dating | Mar 19 2009 | Dan Punch, Lauren Baron, Liane Fisher, Marina Brkljaca, Zahraa Al Khalisi | But when it comes to dating sites, many users feel it's easier to be truthful about who they are online.
Gulu Walk shows challenges and promise in social media activism | Mar 14 2009 | rabbleTV | <p><span>Journalism students from the University of Western Ontario cover the 2008 London Gulu Walk as part of their online media project.</span></p>
Social media as the new frontier for NGOs | Mar 12 2009 | Kelly Quance, Matt Puddister, Salma Tarikh, Sylvia Squair | In an increasingly interconnected world, social media may provide the most direct way of helping NGOs publicize their causes to potential recruits.
Researching my roots: The role of the internet in exploring Jewish identity | Mar 6 2009 | rabbleTV | An exploration of how some have used the internet to explore their Jewish roots and reconnect with lost relatives.
Jewish identity in a digital age | Mar 5 2009 | Britt Aharoni, Michelle Higgins, Natalia Halec, Natasha Marar, Shobhita Sharma | The Internet is playing a significant role in helping Jews makes such discoveries about their family history.
Eating Disorders Online | Feb 27 2009 | rabbleTV | A shocking look into the &quot;pro-ana&quot; (pro-anorexia) community and a response from those who have made it through the experience.
Eating disorders and online identities | Feb 26 2009 | Amy Barrington, Claire Michalewicz, Dale Carruthers, Erin Albert, Laura Downs | A growing number of websites offer advice on how to lose weight fast, how to hide weight loss from parents or doctors and other advice beneficial to individuals with eating disorders.
Anonymous is... | Feb 19 2009 | rabbleTV | Who/what is anonymous?
I am nobody: Anonymity on the Internet | Feb 19 2009 | Chris Mitchell, Emily Beers, Frances Willick, John Paul Hogan, Todd Devlin | It's a subculture of madness that gets exponentially more offensive as users try to outdo each other. Nothing is off limits.
Second Life, second identity | Feb 12 2009 | Alexis Brown, Emily Burke, Jill Buchner, Kate Kurys | Linden Labs is one company that has experienced economic strain. But if it were to close its doors, it wouldn't just put people out of jobs, it would put millions of people out of their second home.
Second Life, second identity | Feb 12 2009 | rabbleTV | <span>Kate Kurys, Alexis Brown, Emily Burke, Jill Buchner explore the second life that some people are choosing to live - virtually on the internet. </span>
Community Divas
Branding yourself online- Community Divas interview | Feb 5 2009 | rabbleTV | <span>Josh Freeman and Cam MacLean caught up with the Community Divas to ask about how they fit within the realm of social media. </span>