Not so long ago, back when Second Life was the next coming, the common belief was people didn’t want to be themselves online. They wanted to be someone better, someone a different sex, someone with a better job and more money or all of the above.

A lot has changed since then. Living online has become common place – it’s no longer just introverts living fantasy lives. Heck, my retired step mom is on Facebook everyday.

The interesting thing here is now that everyone is there, people online are starting to play by similar rules they use offline. Like when the wild west was finally settled and women moved out, people are finally starting to behave like a polite society on the Web. In fact, there’s a new study that says social network profiles are down right accurate to the offline personality.

And you know, it makes a lot of sense once you think about it. Can you imagine:

Finding a job a with a fake Linkedin Profile?

Keeping up with friends on Facebook using an avatar of the opposite sex?

Or sharing media with family online with a silly screen name?

It’s no longer a free for all online. And that makes it more exciting to me.

Posted on: February 21, 2010, by : Jimmy Gilmore