1. The Presentation of Self in Online Life: The Importance of Nicknames in Online Environments. Eimi Lev and Anat Lewinsky Department of Communication University of Haifa, Israel

2. What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "Romeo and Juliet", Act 2 scene 2 In real life, unlike in Shakespeare, the sweetness of the rose depends upon the name it bears. Things are not only what they are. They are, in very important respects, what they seem to be. Hubert H. Humphrey (1911 - 1978) William Shakespeare Hubert H. Humphrey

3. Nicknames Online  The current research explores the role and characteristics of online nicknames.

4. Why are names important?  People’s names carry major significance for their own identities and as identifiers in social interactions.  Names bear immense symbolic, psychological, and social significance.  When we meet someone new, one of the first things we want to know is that person's name, and by its means we reach immediate conclusions, sometimes not reliable, about his or her personality, gender, or ethnic origin (Kaplan, 1997).

5. Names, Identities & Symbolic Interaction  Names can be regarded as an example of symbolic interaction.  According to Goffman (1959) people constantly portray dramatic characters, and expect others to take seriously the impression that is fostered before them. Names are an important determinant of this impression.  Attributing meaning to names, Goffman argued, enables us to understand the situation and adjust our behavior accordingly.

6. Names vs. Nicknames: what’s the difference?  The literature commonly distinguishes names from nicknames.  Names- formal, usually given by parents  Nicknames- informal, can be changed, can be chosen by the person him/her self.  For that reason, nicknames are thought to reflect a person’s identity better than the formal name.

7. Nicknames Online  People can choose their online nickname.  On the net, nicknames are many times the only identifiers available.  On the Internet, choosing a nickname usually involves trying to achieve two different goals: 1. hiding the “real” identity 2. drawing attention to the virtual one (Danet, 1996).

8. The Current Research Study #1: the effect of nicknames on online interactions. Study #2: the distributions of different nicknames along various online interfaces.

9. Study 1- the effects of nicknames  a vignette design – participants were given short stories describing online approach by other user in a chat room.  The name of the user approaching varies according to the different categories outlined by Bechar-Israeli (1995).

10. Study 1- Results  The chosen nickname was found to have a powerful impact on the respondent’s reaction.  The degree of importance attributed to the name proved positively related to the inclination to hold a long 'chat' conversation the higher the importance attributed to the name, the stronger the inclination to hold a long conversation.  As to the factor responsible for the difference in responses to the different stories, 62.5% of the respondents signified the name as the most influential factor.

11. Study 2- the distribution of nicknames  Sample= 800 nicknames taken from 4 internet interfaces 1.Chat rooms 2.Forums 3.Mirc 4.Odigo- an instant messages software  This sample of nicknames was divided into groups based on the categorization of Bechar- Israeli (1995).

12. Study 2- Results CategoryFrequency Names related to the self24% Names related to medium or technology 1% Names taken from animal & vegetable world or related to objects & concepts 9.4% Names having word or sound games 5% Names taken from the world of cinema, TV, and literature 5.1% Names related to sex and provocation 2% Common names42.8% Others10.8%

13. Summary & Conclusions  The results of the current study strongly indicate that names have powerful role online.  Most people do not use the opportunity given to them on the Internet to choose unconventional names.  Thinking ahead- the relation between the choice of nicknames & different interfaces.

14. Future Research  Validation and expansion (sample, contexts, interfaces…)  Applying of other research methods (self- reports, simulations, questionnaires…).  Establishment of causal relationships rather correlational ones.