Online Identity

The discussion from our first critical thinking paper really got me thinking about how I judge other people's online identities, especially on Facebook because I frequent it the most.
I thought about initially adding a new friend, and how I judge their identity from the friend accept. When I add a new friend, I come to understand their online identity through the information they post about themselves in the "About Me" section of their profile. After reading through that section, I know all the information they choose to disclose about themselves and how they view who they are. If they disclose more personal information, I conclude that they are more open and honest, and also may seek friends who disclose just as much as they do. If they don't disclose as much information, I conclude that they may not open up as easily, have something to hide, or do not view Facebook as the place to get to know others. However, I take that section with a grain of salt because I know people only list the positive aspects of themselves, even if they only list a few.
Next, I look a bit closer to the applications they have on their page and what I think those say about an individual. Usually, I can see what organizations are important to them through the applications they list on their page.
I'll check out what they write on shared friends' walls, or what they allow people to post on their own wall. I feel that a more private person will not allow huge amounts of public displays of information and for that reason may not have a wall at all. However, I have noticed that some people update their status frequently with their actions throughout the day.
Finally, any interaction I have with them online will be judged too. Certain words they might use, as well as icons will be taken into consideration when I message them on Facebook chat. I can try to judge how they are feeling or what they are truly thinking depending on those things.
However, I think it is very hard to gain a sense of an identity online, no matter the site used. There are so many personal cues that are missed out on because people are communicating via a computer instead of face-to-face that one can never truly know how the person on the opposite end feels. That is why I try my best not to form a final judgement of a person's identity until I can meet them in person.
Which brings to mind an important question: What if I can never meet them in person? If that is the case, I will seriously consider the information I share with them online until I get to a point where I feel I can read the words they choose and understand exactly what they meant by those words. I would very closely examine the words they choose, also. I think getting to know someone's online identity would take a very long time, and with much examination.