Messing Around with Identity Graphs

Identity Graph: Writing Days

For the E-Lit 3.0 course, Stephen Downes has us pondering identity and graphs, with a focus on Identity Graphs. These are used by marketers to fine-tune who we are, using our data trails, in order to push their products our way.

Stephen envisions a different way in the Web3 world, where data will be used in deeper, richer, and unknown ways. He is turning “quantified self” into “qualified self.”  A new EL30 post he is working on (he has shared his draft with the world) expands on this notion in interesting ways, particularly in the world of anonymity and biometrics and more.

The task for this particular activity was to create an Identity Graph but without identifying who we are, or naming us on the graph. This suggested cloak of identity invisibility led me to think of a Scatter Graph, and then I figured, what does writing look like in this kind of visual? That’s what the graph above is aiming for.

The comic below? It’s my initial response to thinking of Identity Graphs and marketing departments.

Don’t Graph Me

I remain concerned about how Identity Graphs are used and are developing with different technology (would an Augmented Reality Identity Graph be cool or creepy, or both?) , and how our ability to hide from commercial interests in digital spaces seems more and more difficult to maintain.

Stephen interviewed Maha Bali for this week’s theme.

If you want to engage with me in the margins of their conversation, come on over to Vialogues where I have set this up for discussions as a way to watch together.

Stephen and Maha in Vialogues

Peace (where data hides),
Kevin

4 Comments
  1. I echo your concern about how identity graphs are used to develop ‘stuff’, and how they represent us – When Maha said that VConnecting was left out, but then Stephen showed her that he took the bio from her own cite, it made me think about what we show, what we don’t, what we forget to show, and how some of the pieces don’t really show all of us. It is a tricky topic for sure and it has been very good to see different people’s takes on it.

    I love your comics. The externalisation and voicing of the issues makes them like dough to knead. -they are helpful. 🙂

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