In the world of corporeal copresence, we rarely need to describe to others how
we look as they can see for themselves, nor do we need to tell others what we are
because they will come to know us over time. As such, we tend to take our self for
granted in face-to-face interaction. This is not the case in the online world, however.
When interacting with telecopresent others, especially those we have never met
face to face, we are obliged to provide some type of self-description. The reason is
simple: in text-based online communications we are nothing until we type at the
keyboard and others do not know us unless we tell them something. In the process
of narrating to others who we are and what we do, the digital self begins to take
shape.