"After all, we believe that the convergence of communications and publishing is at the heart of everything we’re interested in exploring today."

"1: The ability to publish information at-large is relatively new."

"2: The presence of audiences turn us into self-serving performers."

"In The Presentation Of Self In Everyday Life, sociologist Erving Goffman uses theatre as an illuminating metaphor for social life. We deliver performances to one another and to ourselves, and in doing so we determine our own (and each other’s) identities."

"“Sharing content is not just a neutral exchange of information. Mostly, when we share content on social media services, we do it transparently, visibly, in the presence of a crowd. The act of sharing… is a performative act.”"

"“There are no guards and no prisoners in Facebook’s virtual Panopticon. We are both guards and prisoners, watching and implicitly judging one another as we share content.”"

"“Forget Farmville and World of Warcraft. Creative self-affirmation is the most popular game online. We play this game whenever we select material to share with friends or craft messages to frame our posts. The name of the game is to present oneself, via one’s tweets, posts, likes, comments, and shares, in the light in which one aspires to be viewed. This essentially amounts to affirming the things that one loves in such a way that the loved one brings to the world is reflected in one’s online activity."

"“No doubt this satisfies a deep psychological need for recognition. Whatever it is that drives it, it draws us back to share and share again.”"

"3: We’re interacting with constructed Profiles, not persons. This can be intensely draining."

"when we actually do something we wouldn’t otherwise do, so that we can serve our profiles. (This phenomena is alluded to in I Tweet, Therefore I Am.)"

"It makes more sense when you realise people aren’t interacting with people, they’re interacting with profiles."

"“Every status update is a variation of the same request: ‘Would somebody please acknowledge me?'”"

"We’re interacting with “presented Selfs”, or constructs."

"Harris Wittels describes the Humblebrag, which is a subtle social phenomenon that’s ripe for study. A successful humblebrag is designed to improve the social standing of the person sending it. Its effectiveness is probably diminished now that people are more aware of such behaviour."

"Nobody really wants to go around hurting or annoying other people, we all just want some social approval."

"Don’t feel obliged to constantly point out where people are wrong. People will perceive your honourable correction as an attempt to bolster your own image."

"People are annoying to begin with because we’re aware of our own needs, but we’re ignorant of each other. Human selfishness is borne largely of ignorance."