Illustration: Stan Slade Comic
For those who’ve asked to see more of the comic strips I did last year for the Ontario Government’s internal campaign on privacy, click on the image to read the Stan Slade: Privacy Investigator strip on Identity Theft.
I’m very particular about my online identity. I know some people who are free and loose about others sending emails or IMs from their accounts, sharing bulletin board or online gaming accounts amongst friends and family, picking up and dropping identities faster than most people change their shirts. Personally I couldn’t do that.
To me, an online identity is sacrosanct. When you encounter someone online - be it in a virtual world, in a chat room, via discussion group or blog - the only thing you have to judge them on is the words they use. Letting someone romp about in my identity, putting their thoughts and words to my name; it would be like letting someone romp about in my soul. I just couldn’t do it.
So when the notice from ebay arrived that my account password may have been compromised, it left me a little perturbed. Fortunately, it would seem ebay suspended the account with no damage done to my reputation. But is a bit of a reminder that there is a LOT that needs to be done in the space of identity. That the only thing that separates the interloper from yourself is a username/password combo is hardly reassuring.
