Addressing Constraints: Multiple Usernames, Task Spillage and Notions of Identity

Keywords:

Email, instant messaging, task, collaboration, identity, usernames, identifier, interview study

Abstract:

In this work in progress report, we present preliminary results from an interview study on people’s use of email addresses and instant messenger usernames. Based on these interview findings, we speculate that many people use multiple identifiers reactively and prosaically, rather than simply proactively and strategically. This has implications for understanding the scope of previous studies; for developing crossplatform methodologies for analysis of people’s practices; for understanding identifier selection; and for design of communication tools and protocols. We believe that a focus on “identity”, which we characterize to be a set of strategic and coherent practices for self-presentation/protection, has led to an under-representation of reactive and prosaic practices of identifier selection that can result from organizational policy, technological implementations, and social and task information flow management.