Citation

Qian H, Scott CR. J. Comput. Mediat. Commun. 2007; 12(4): 1428-1451.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, Annenberg School for Communication)

DOI

10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00380.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Bloggers are typically cautious about engaging in self-disclosure because of concerns that what they post may have negative consequences. This article examines the relationship between anonymity (both visual and discursive) and self-disclosure on weblogs through an online survey. The results suggest that increased visual anonymity is not associated with greater self-disclosure, and the findings about the role of discursive anonymity are mixed. Bloggers whose target audience does not include people they know offline report a higher degree of anonymity than those whose audience does. Future studies need to explore the reasons why bloggers visually and discursively identify themselves in particular ways.