The Tricksters of Social Media; Fakesters vs Avasters
"So much seems possible at the beginning of a trip, so many
things seem brimmed with meaning." pg 5
"...trickster is a boundary-crosser. Every group has its edge, its sense of in and out, and trickster is always there, at the gates of the city and the gates of life, making sure there is commerce." Trickster, pg 7
Reading about fakesters led me to this post on fake twitter accounts varying from Fake Steve Jobs to Fake Seth Godin to my favorite, Chuck Norris. Chuck throws down the tracks like
And some fakester parodies are richly deserved like rahodeb of Whole Foods (In)Fame(ity).
Motivations for fakester accounts based on famous people might include a desire for attention, satire, performance art, hatred of what a person represents, desire to be in on a "secret", or admission into a Goffmanesque "back room" to blatant monetary goals. But there is a motivation of some kind that piggy-backs on top of someone else's fame. Every invention of a new namespace opens up opportunities for these reputation barnacles.
But there is a different type of "fake account" in the form of a completely made up person or object. A persona. And this type of fakester account is lumped in with the impersonators, and this is a mistake. I submit they are entirely different.
In disparaging terms, these are called "sock puppets." Wikipedia clarifies
"The key difference between a sock puppet and a regular pseudonym (sometimes termed an "alt" which is short for alternate, as in alternate identity) is the pretense that the puppet is a third party who is not affiliated with the puppeteer."
My problem with the "sock puppet" term is that the pejorative nature overrides the trickster legitimacy and social commentary conveyed. Hence I suggest a new term for those that have passed a social acceptance threshold within the community. For lack of a better word I'll call these characters Avasters.
Avasters - an character created by a person or persons that is not based on a specific person living or dead. An invented character that acts and behaves with a unique personality. And earns the right to be considered a "person" within the community.
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