What Makes Online Identity Durable? Why do some users stick with their online accounts for years while others abandon?

Session Topic: Durable Online Identities

Thursday 3G

Convener: Jeff Hughes

Notes-taker(s): Vicki Milton

Goal: Determine the attributes of an account that might make you want to hold onto them for a long time
 * Reasons to create an account
 * Got a new device and it requires an account
 * Want to communicate people -- want an email service
 * Forgotten password on previous account (inverse to reason to abandon on previous account)
 * Got an anonymous email -- persona expression
 * Got a real name -- persona expression
 * Changed name -- persona expression
 * Required to purchase/download transaction
 * Easier to create than to recover an account (where value doesn't justify recovery effort)
 * Creates different identity per service to determine where spam is coming from
 * Control issue- Uses as a redirector to important, highly protected email
 * Reasons to keep the account
 * Got the exact name that you wanted
 * Data held within the account is of value
 * Represents identity well
 * Known address to friends
 * Has a geo attribute that you can only get in that country
 * Access to platform specific services (reuse of a seldom used account)
 * Identity is sold off to others -- created ongoing target market persona used by services
 * Personal domain that user has lifetime control over (as long as they pay the money)
 * Can move personal domain to different mail servers
 * Personal name I own
 * Tied to history/data/people
 * Used email in a research paper and known to other people (long time reference)
 * Google account is tied to too many services (calendar, place, android) that limits ability to use
 * Persona expression -- uses across similar sites
 * Certain types of accounts are more secure or more trustworthy than others (FB vs. Google)
 * Can't transfer the storage quota purchased with the account (digital asset tied to the account)
 * App licenses
 * Content
 * Game scores
 * Points
 * Have developed a trusted relationship with vendor
 * Trust brand
 * How data is handled
 * Tolerance for only a small number of accounts to use/remember
 * Reasons to Abandon (stop using)
 * Switch devices
 * Account compromise/security concerns/trust
 * Seldom used accounts may hold data that is public facing and desires to keep visibility but doesn't update
 * Community moved away from method -- so moved with community (myspace --> facebook, starting to happen at Facebook)
 * Switch to another service (choice or move)
 * Forgotten passwords
 * The account has lost its utility (Reddit has concept of throwaway account) -- utility is that they are not durable
 * Name change that requires a new account
 * Public facing name such as email expresses name
 * Death
 * Created for the purpose of a one-time transaction
 * Easier to create than to recover an account (where value doesn't justify recovery effort)
 * Desire to start over completely
 * Effort to clean up account is too high
 * Spam
 * Organization ID no longer available (EDU, company)
 * Misusing account in marketing campaigns -- not targeting
 * Didn't value me as a customer