shmoocon - beyond nymwars

An Analysis of the Online Identity Battleground

aestetixShmoocon 2013

Monday, February 18, 13

Do you... Google?


... wait, wtf?


Thesis Statements

✤ Identity is multifaceted (“prismatic”)

✤ There is no such thing as a “real” name

✤ Imposing a singular identity is not only harmful, it doesn’t work


What is NSTIC?

✤ National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC)

✤ Created by Obama Administration to address current challenges in digital identity (passwords, identity theft, etc)

✤ Update from the February 2013 Plenary


What is NSTIC?


Myth #1

Only pedophiles, criminals, and cyber-bullies do not want to use their legal names online!

What is this “nym” thing?

http://mythbustersresults.com/photos/adam-savage-mythbusters.jpg




What is a “nym”?


✤ Identity is not the same thing as a name

✤ Name: a label or symbol that is used to identify a person, thing, or concept within a given context



Various Nom de Plumes

✤ Publius

✤ J.K. Rowling

✤ Nicholas Bourbaki

✤ Ian Donald Calvin Euclid Zappa

✤ Richard Bachman, Deep Throat, Voltaire, George Eliot, the Bronte Sisters...


Various Nom de Plumes


✤ Self image (“id, ego and superego”)

✤ Reputation and the Citizen Kane style construct

✤ “The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about.” --Oscar Wilde

Is identity internal or external?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane





Why do names matter?

✤ Valerie Plaine

✤ Witness Protection Program

✤ AOL and Netflix databases


✤ A “social network” is a force that brings people or their personas together on a regular basis.

✤ A “friend” is a person that you would choose to be in contact with.

✤ An “institution” is a custom, practice, relationship, or significant behavior pattern within a social network.

What are social networks?


Defining “identity”

✤ Carl Jung:

✤ Rational or “Conscious”

✤ Emotional or “Unconscious”


Bringing Identity Online

✤ aestetix’s Method (draft spec):


✤ Pseudonym - a name that might not found on or linkable to any previously mentioned documents

✤ Polynym - a name consisting of multiple words or symbols

✤ Mononym - a name consisting of one word or symbol

✤ Autonym - a name bestowed upon oneself

✤ Anonym - a name representing anonymity

So what’s a “nym”?


Why not “real” name?

✤ Negative implications

✤ Lack of agency

✤ Easily substituted with better alternatives

✤ Where does this concept come from, anyways?

http://www.shescribes.com/2011/07/i-cant-believe-its-not-butter-toast-tweet-100-giveaway.html




✤ Joseph Campbell: right hand path, left hand path, and the Hero’s Journey

✤ General Petraeus

✤ Why do hacker handles matter?

What are social networks?


✤ Zooko’s Triangle

http://www.skyhunter.com/marcs/petnames/IntroPetNames.html

Establishing Identity Online




Myth #2

We can stop cyber-bullying by forcing people to use their legal names

People who do not use their legal names do not contribute positively to discussions





Do Names Matter?


Do Names Matter?

http://circularabsurdity.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-steampunk-art.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage


http://circularabsurdity.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-steampunk-art.html

http://circularabsurdity.blogspot.com/2010/11/my-steampunk-art.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phineas_Gage

✤ Case Study:TechCrunch

Do Names Matter?


✤ Case Study: Disqus, 60+ million users (Jan 10, 2012)

Do Names Matter?

http://disqus.com/research/pseudonyms/Monday, February 18, 13

http://disqus.com/research/pseudonyms/

http://disqus.com/research/pseudonyms/

✤ Social Number (launched Dec 2012)

Total Lack of Names


Myth #3

We cannot trust anyone who does not use their legal name online


Trust and Reputation

https://twitter.com/AntDeRosa/status/292796075348197376




✤ “Klout” scores


http://www.socialbrite.org/2010/07/22/klout-measure-your-twitter-influence/




Trust and Transparency

✤ What does transparency mean?

✤ Is there such a thing as full transparency?

✤ Who decides how transparent we get to be?

✤ Active versus Passive communication of personal information


Myth #4

We can trust online “identity providers” like Google and Facebook


Does Identity Matter?

✤ “The only way to manage this is true transparency and no anonymity. In a world of asynchronous threats, it is too dangerous for there not to be some way to identify you. We need a [verified] name service for people. Governments will demand it.” (Techonomy, August 2010)

✤ “If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place."(CNBC Interview, December 2009)

Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman at Google:



✤ “The days of you having a different image for your work friends or co-workers and for the other people you know are probably coming to an end pretty quickly. Having two identities for yourself is an example of a lack of integrity.” (Interview, October 2011)

Mark Zuckerberg, CEO at Facebook:

http://allinio.com/2012/12/holiday-carol-good-king-zuckerberg/




✤ “The portrait of identity online is often painted in black and white. Who you are online is who you are offline.“Human identity doesn't work like that online or offline. It's not 'who you share with,' it's 'who you share as.’ Identity is prismatic.” (Web 2.0)

Chris “moot” Poole, Founder of 4chan


http://www.hollywood.com/news/New_Yogi_Bear_Poster_Reveals_His_Darkest_Secret/7082914




Recap of 2011

✤ My G+ account was suspended

✤ Confusion over “common name”

✤ Request for government issued ID

✤ Questions about ID != common name

✤ Account suddenly reinstated

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/nym%20wars




Recap of 2011


I Wasn’t Alone!


Where are we now?

✤ Updates to the Google+ policy (as of 10/27/2012):

✤ Limiting name changes (3 every 2 years)

✤ Names appeal (includes “significant following”)

✤ Nicknames policy


Where are we now?

✤ Google’s idea of “pseudonyms”:


Where are we now?

✤ Google patent #8271894 (granted Sep 18, 2012)


Where are we now?


Bringing Identity Online

✤ Google’s Method:


Where are we now?

✤ “Snitchgate” (September 2012)


Where are we now?

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57565293-93/instagram-account-crackdown-alarms-members-who-think-theyve-been-hacked/

✤ Instagram Fiasco (Jan 22, 2013)




Where are we now?

✤ Instagram Fiasco


Where are we now?

✤ Questions for thought:

✤ Who are Google and Facebook trying to “impress”?

✤ Who else might have access to this data?

✤ Why would Chewbacca, an 8-foot-tall Wookie, want to live on Endor with a bunch of 2-foot-tall Ewoks? Is that his real name?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:0330chewbacca.jpg




Myth #5

We are currently fixing this through legislation.


Legal issues?

✤ South Korea Real Name Verification Law (2003-2012)

✤ Required Resident Registration Number to be used for verification to improve “quality”

✤ Repealed in 2012 after Korea Communications Commission found a 0.9% change

✤ Follow-up study by Carnegie-Mellon


Legal issues?

✤ Strengthening Network Internet Protection (China)

✤ Passed on 28 December 2012

✤ Section VI: Network service providers that handle website access services for users, handle fixed telephone, mobile telephone and other surfing formalities, or provide information publication services to users, shall, when concluding agreements with users or affirming the provision of service, require users to provide real identity information.

http://chinacopyrightandmedia.wordpress.com/2012/12/28/national-peoples-congress-standing-committee-decision-concerning-strengthening-network-information-protection/




Legal issues?

✤ California Proposition 35 (passed Nov 6, 2012)

✤ Californians Against Sexual Exploitation (“CASE”)

✤ Section 290.014 (b): If any person who is required to register pursuant to the Act adds or changes his or her account with an Internet service provider or adds or changes an Internet identifier, the person shall send written notice of the addition or change to the law enforcement agency or agencies with which he or she is currently registered within 24 hours. ...”

✤ EFF filed lawsuit, injunction granted as of Jan 11, 2013


Legal issues?

✤ German Telemedia Act (passed 26 February 2007)

✤ Section 13 (6): “The service provider must enable the use of telemedia and payment for them to occur anonymously or via a pseudonym where this is technically possible and reasonable. The recipient of the service is to be informed about this possibility.”

http://www.cgerli.org/fileadmin/user_upload/interne_Dokumente/Legislation/Telemedia_Act__TMA_.pdf




✤ Join NymRights! (www.nymrights.org)

✤ Anyone can be an IDESG/NSTIC member!

Moving Forward


http://www.nymrights.org

http://www.nymrights.org

Questions?

✤ @aestetix


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