Self presentation is evolving; with digital technologies, with the Web and
personal publishing, and then with mainstream adoption of online social media.
Where are we going next? One possibility is towards a world where we log and
own vast amounts of data about ourselves. We choose to share - or not - the data
as part of our identity, and in interactions with others; it contributes to our day-to-day personhood or sense of self. I imagine a world where the individual is
empowered by their digital traces (not imprisoned), but this is a complex world.
This thesis examines the many factors at play when we present ourselves
through Web technologies. I optimistically look to a future where control over
our digital identities are not in the hands of centralised actors, but our own, and
both survey and contribute to the ongoing technical work which strives to make
this a reality. Decentralisation changes things in unexpected ways. In the
context of the bigger picture of our online selves, building on what we already
know about self-presentation from decades of Social Science research, I
examine what might change as we move towards decentralisation; how people
could be affected, and what the possibilities are for a positive change. Finally I
explore one possible way of self-presentation on a decentralised social Web
through lightweight controls which allow an audience to set their expectations
in order for the subject to meet them appropriately.
I seek to acknowledge the multifaceted, complicated, messy, socially-shaped
nature of the self in a way that makes sense to software developers. Technology
may always fall short when dealing with humanness, but the framework outlined
in this thesis can provide a foundation for more easily considering all of the
factors surrounding individual self-presentation in order to build future systems
which empower participants
