Within constructed spaces our identities are evident in our interaction with objects, language and practice. The spaces that are understood as "virtual" are additions to an environment we have to locate our bodies within. Objects of technology, an engagement with language or a practice of art utilise our bodies as the zero point for experience of space. "Virtual space" is constructed through the use of objects we associate with the idea of "virtual space" such as consoles, computers and phones. The critical evaluation of virtual space has battled with the idea of the "disincarnated" experience of content, where the body is not the starting point. Virtual space is populated by objects that have physical form. Much like the impossibility of a person surviving on information alone it has become evident that the idea of a virtual disembodied utopia must come back down to earth. The discussion of the form of our identity in virtual space has had to redefine what virtual is, and how form can participate in constructing space. The discussion of form has had to contextualise a concrete practice and a beginning point within the body. The ideas and theories of Lakoff and Johnson, Carr, Talbolt, Fei, Dibble, Rendell, Turkle, Barthes, Davies, Sontag, Hockney, and Merleau-Ponty are evidence that there is an embodied point of view and human experience of "virtual" space. This thesis will use concrete spatial strategies of an artistic and auto-ethnographic practice to show that virtual space and the form of identity are concrete components of everyday environments. Form plays pivotal role in deconstructing or constructing space. Through the use of panorama, as an object of technology as well as a strategy, space is constructed using form. The term avatar used to discuss the "form" of identity in virtual spaces, and in particular what we currently recognise as "online" software driven, or connective virtual spaces. I have recognised that virtual space as not separate but augmentative and I will discuss how the avatar has been utilised within my practice to define virtual space as augmentative to everyday spaces.

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In my dissertation, I study factors that affect the value-creating interactions between value producers and value consumers on two-sided platforms (e.g., Freelancer and Kickstarter). In the first essay, I study how bid price dispersion affects the value-creating interactions (i.e., contracting) between service providers (freelancers) and buyers in online labor markets. I find that bid price dispersion has a negative effect on buyers' offering a contract and service providers' tendency to accept the contract if offered one. I theorize that both service providers and buyers face uncertainty over price as to how much to charge or to pay for IT services and a higher bid price dispersion leads to higher uncertainty, and thus a lower contracting rate. In the second essay, I examine the role of the lottery in value-creating interactions (namely backings) in crowdfunding platforms. I find that the lottery, when designed as an option with a participation cost, decreases backers' average contribution and the total value created for a project, albeit it incentivizes more low-value interactions (i.e., more low-value backings). I theorize that the lottery, on the one hand, incentivizes low-value interactions that would otherwise not happen, but on the other hand, transforms high-value interactions into low-value interactions. In the third essay, I study the effect of backers' online identity concealment on the value-creating interactions (i.e., backings) in crowdfunding platforms. Contradictory to a common practice that crowdfunding platforms often maintain a public list of all backers’ identity information, assuming a positive observational learning effect among peer backers, the empirical results demonstrate with backers' online identity concealed completely, campaigns on average gain more backings and money as well as become more likely to succeed. And this effect is larger for donors-those back a campaign without receiving any reward-than for rewardees-those back the campaign for the reward. / Business Administration/Management Information Systems

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The possibility to create an alternate identity is different today due to the digital world. Previous research on online self-presentation focused mostly on identity constructions in anonymous online environments, where users could choose to be anonymous. This study aims to move forward and study online self-presentation in the non-anonymous social media platforms that are more commonly used today, especially amongst young adults with the research questions:•How do young adults present themselves on Instagram?•Do young men and young women represent themselves differently on Instagram, if so, how?•Can differences be identified in the responses, i.e. likes and comments between young women and young men? And if so, how can these differences be described?The study has been limited to Instagram, since this is a popular platform for young adults, who are target group for my study.The material is 120 posts from six various Instagram users, three male and three female. The findings are that young adults represent themselves through selfies on Instagram. They represent themselves differently through filters, poses and also in the way they communicate with their followers. The female users were more prone to highlight their appearance and post selfies from indoors and preferably a home environment. The male users more often posted from outdoors and with some activity. The female users got more responses from their followers comparing in terms of comments and likes and often complimented by their looks which is associated with constructed gender roles of femininity and masculinity; men being outdoor and active while the woman is passive, beautiful and prefers to stay at home. However, the findings also showed indications of not replicating gender roles and myths about what is feminine and masculine, as some of the male users selfies had traits that associated to female presentation and the female selfies had traits associated to male stereotypical presentation.

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This thesis focuses on online communities - both their historic and current form. Various forms of communications are described, main focus is then given to identity online and self-presentation - various forms it can take, which expressive devices are used, how trustworthy is it and how is it perceived by other others. Influence of anonymity is mentioned. Empirical part of this work explores online friendship relations, cornerstone of the current wave of social networking services. It asks several questions about ways in which they affect communication between users. Relation between several factors (reciprocity, direction of initiation of said relation) and both quantity and frequency of communication between those users before and after that friendship is established.

Submitted by William Justo Figueiro (williamjf) on 2015-07-16T21:09:20Z No. of bitstreams: 1 23c.pdf: 1948564 bytes, checksum: d7ade9fcb333b6c983c41b5dc28e0b5f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-07-16T21:09:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 23c.pdf: 1948564 bytes, checksum: d7ade9fcb333b6c983c41b5dc28e0b5f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-04-09 / Nenhuma / O presente trabalho consiste em uma análise das performances desempenhadas pela personagem Katylene Beezmarcky no blog homônimo e no Twitter. Assim, o estudo aborda as novas tecnologias como dispositivos que reconfiguram as performances de gênero na contemporaneidade. Além disso, pensam-se as tecnologias da comunicação como formas de mobilizar traços culturais de diferentes grupos como uma estratégia de construção de uma narrativa de si no ciberespaço. O objetivo do trabalho é observar os usos de diferentes plataformas comunicacionais (blog e Twitter) pelo blogueiro Daniel Carvalho para a criação da personagem travesti, contextualizando a popularização da personagem em um contexto contraditório de grande homofobia característico do Brasil. A pesquisa busca articular as noções de performatividade de gêneros e matriz de normas heterossexistas, referentes à teoria queer, com os estudos sobre tecnologias digitais e comunicação mediada por computador, da cibercultura. No desenvolvimento da pesquisa, primeiramente, discutem-se as noções socioculturais em relação aos sexos, as sexualidades e os gêneros, então, considera-se três momentos fundamentais dos estudos culturais de gênero: aqueles que procuravam explicar a submissão da mulher, aqueles que relativizam as noções até então construídas e a teoria queer. Assim, ao adotar a perspectiva queer, desconstrói-se a noção essencialista de sexo e gênero, para explicar a performatividade dos mesmos e como esta irá instaurar uma matriz heteronormativa. Em um segundo momento, faz-se considerações sobre a cibercultura e suas implicações na construção de identidades na contemporaneidade. Para, então, aproximar-se do objeto de estudo de maneira baseada na Teoria Fundamentada. Assim, identificaram-se as estratégias e usos das plataformas online enquanto performances de gênero e a mobilização de traços identitários na construção de uma narrativa da personagem estudada. Percebeu-se que a personagem tem uma relação íntima com os espaços propiciados pela internet, usando muito dos materiais disponíveis online. Além disso, ela se configura enquanto uma personagem do universo trans, mas não da mesma forma, Katylene extrapola se tornando algo como o estereótipo da travesti. / This study is an analysis of the performances carried out by character Katylene Beezmarcky on the eponymous blog and on Twitter. Thus, the study approaches the new technologies as devices that reconfigure the gender performances in contemporaneity. Also, think up communication technologies as ways of mobilizing cultural traits of different groups as a strategy to build a narrative of self in cyberspace. The objective is to observe the uses of different communication platforms (blog and Twitter) by blogger Daniel Carvalho for creating the transvestite character, contextualizing the popularization of character in a contradictory context of great homophobia characteristic of Brazil. The research seeks to articulate notions of gender performativity and matrix heterosexist norms, referring to queer theory, with studies on digital technologies and computer-mediated communication, cyberculture. In developing of the survey, firstly, discusses the socio-cultural notions with regard to genders, sexualities and sexes, then it is considered three key moments of cultural studies of gender: those who sought to explain the submission of women, those who relativize notions hitherto constructed and queer theory. Thus, by adopting a queer perspective, deconstructs the essentialist notion of gender and explain the gender performativity and how this will bring an heteronormative matrix. In a second step, some considerations are made about cyberculture and its implications in the construction of identities in contemporary times. To then approach the object of study so based on Grounded Theory. Thus, identified strategies and uses of online platforms as gender performances and mobilization of identity traits in the construction of a narrative of the studied character. It is perceived that the character has a close relationship with the spaces propitiated by the internet, using much of the material available online. Furthermore, it sets itself up as a trans character of the universe, but not in the same way, Katylene extrapolates becoming something like the stereotype of transvestite.

This final thesis is looking for ways social networking site users understand their virtual image, online identity and the way online identity is made. It also deals with the way users view the use of social networks and the fact that their virtual profiles reflect their personalities and opinions. It also handles a study on how users perceive the closeness of "Facebook world", whether as a world made up of real people contacts or just a cold virtual space. Social network users leave a digital trace behind. In addition, this thesis follows its impact on online reputation. Also it follows effect it has on user's virtual contacts. It considers attitudes towards social networking sites based on age and gender. It mentions certain effects that accompany user and his presence on internet and social network in general: disinhibition effect, flaming, trolling or spiral of silence theory. It describes evolution of the communication on social networks. In the final stage it focuses on commercial potential: marketing opportunities on Facebook, ways to exploit users' data and what will be the benefit for both parties.