(E)dentity

Today, as we live more and more of our lives in online spaces, we carry with us an (e)dentity, an electronic identity composed of the digital traces left behind as we participate in virtual worlds. Every time we upload a picture to a social networking site, create an avatar in an online game, blog or tweet about our life, or buy something online, we generate digital traces that, when examined, form our (e)dentity.

(E)dentity draws from multiple sources: newspapers, magazines, blog posts, online comics, and even Twitter feeds. Some are humorous, some serious, some playful, and some thought-provoking; all are meant to illustrate the multiplicity of voices participating in the ongoing conversation about online life and identity.

Along the way students will find research, invention, and composing prompts to help them join the conversation. Much like the readings provided in this book, the kinds of composing students will be asked to do move in many ways beyond traditional academic writing. They may be asked to write a blog post, analyze a series of Twitter tweets, create an avatar, examine a webcomic, or reflect on playing video games. As they continue through the text, they will add additional layers of understanding and meaning to their initial conception of (e)dentity, just as each time they participate in online spaces they add more layers to their online identity.