Not So Anonymous...

Two blogs, "No Identity Left Behind" and "Be Careful You May Be Exposed!!! Protecting Your Online Identity," are quite informative; they portray to internet users the consequences (which may be positive or negative) of online identities.

The first blog, “No Identity Left Behind” discusses how Twitter can reveal the usernames of its followers to almost anyone who asks.  The author explains how one can find a desired user and “see exactly what they’re doing…pages they visit…where they came from, how long they stayed.”  In this blog, the author uses both logos and ethos to appeal to the interest of readers. The evidence of the information one can gather on another user (seen by the images and charts) is the appeal to logos, but it also enforces ethos.  The facts and figures support the author’s claim while they also produce a cautious attitude in readers that may not have existed before.  The blog carries both a guarded and disgusted tone, and the textual elements support the overall theme.  The simple colors used do not take away from the piece so that the focus remains on the facts, and the pictures serve as illustrations of the discussed issues.

The second blog “Be Careful you may be exposed!!! Protecting your online Identity” addresses a topic similar to that in the above piece.  The second, however, focuses more on the effect of posting what one thought was private on the internet when in reality it is quite public.  It explains that “the information is synchronized across and is made available on various search engines.”  Like the first, the second digital literature makes use of images to support the argument.  Logos appears in the statistics such as “73,330,000 results” found on Google for removing one’s online identity.  Pathos stands out in the blog as well because readers are introduced to more truths, and feelings of caution and maybe even regret formulate in their minds.  Furthermore, the second blog keeps the design and color scheme simplistic (like the first one) to support its ideas.

Both blogs demonstrate how the writers feel regarding the not-so-anonymous internet identity issue.  Each conveys to readers the necessity of practicing discretion when interacting online.  Both authors are extremely effective in the statements they make; each supports the claim with factual evidence and admonishes the readers to consider their actions online.  After reading the blogs, one should recognize the importance of acting wisely on the web.  You never know who is watching…and they can watch practically anything you do.