online show ponies

this is a great article that provides six clues to online 'disinhibition'.  It's written in simple plain language by internet psychologist John Suler.

excerpt:

The anonymity, invisibility and fantasy elements of online activities encourage us to think that the usual rules don't apply. Like a science fiction escape fantasy, the net allows us to be who we want and do what we want, both good and bad.  The problem is that when life becomes a game that can be left behind at the flick of a switch, it's easy to throw responsibility out of the window. ... freedom is an illusion maintained by the online experience of invisibility, anonymity and lack of immediate, visceral, emotional feedback from others, or at least our ability to turn that feedback off.  Perhaps this is freedom: some people do report feeling closer to their real selves when online. But there's a reason we developed all those social inhibitions in the old-fashioned, offline world. They stop us offending other people...

I'm in complete agreement with Suler and must read more of his work! (have ordered the ref in the article for weekend reading! - even though it uses terms like 'solipsistic introjection').  He describes neatly the concepts I've been grappling with for months regarding how online impacts upon real selves and vice versa.