On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog

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Peter Steiner's Cartoon
Peter Steiner's Cartoon

"On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog" is an adage which began as the caption of a cartoon by Peter Steiner published by The New Yorker on 5 July 1993.[1][2] The cartoon shows two dogs: One sitting on a chair in front of a computer, speaking the caption to a second dog sitting on the floor.[2][3] As of 2000, the panel was the most reproduced cartoon from The New Yorker, and Steiner had earned over $50,000 (USD) from the reprinting of the cartoon.[1][4]

Contents

[edit] History

Peter Steiner, a cartoonist and contributor to The New Yorker since 1980, said the cartoon initially did not get a lot of attention, but later took on a life of its own, and that he felt similar to the person who created the "smiley face."[1] In fact, Steiner was not that interested in the Internet when he drew the cartoon, and although he did have an online account, he recalled attaching no "profound" meaning to the cartoon; it was just something he drew in the manner of a "make-up-a-caption" cartoon.[1]

"I can't quite fathom that it's that widely known and recognized."[1] - Peter Steiner

[edit] As a commentary on Internet privacy

See also: Internet privacy

The cartoon symbolizes an understanding of the Internet, that stresses the ability of users to send and receive messages in general obscurity. Lawrence Lessig suggests "No one knows", because Internet protocols do not force a user to identify themselves online, although local access points, such as a user's university, may; but this information is privately held by the local access point, and is not part of the Internet transaction.[5]

[edit] As a commentary on Internet sociology

A study by Morahan-Martin and Schumacher (2000) on compulsive or problematic Internet use discusses this phenomenon, suggesting the ability to self-represent from behind the computer screen may be part of the compulsion to go online.[6] The phrase can be taken "to mean that cyberspace will be liberatory because gender, race, age, looks, or even 'dogness' are absent there," an understanding echoed in 1996 by John Gilmore, a key figure in the history of Usenet.[7] The phrase also suggests the ability to "computer crossdress" and represent oneself as a different gender, age, race, etc.[8] On another level, "the freedom which the dog chooses to avail itself of, is the freedom to 'pass' as part of a privileged group; i.e. human computer users with access to the Internet."[8][9] In 2007, the cartoon was used to illustrate how the 17 year-old founder of a website could be mistaken for a seasoned Internet professional, and as a metaphor for the program Wikiscanner that is able to link anonymous editors of Wikipedia to the organization owning that IP address.[10][11] There may also be relevance to the possibility of using the internet for paedophilia.[12]

[edit] Influences

The cartoon has inspired a play, Nobody Knows I'm a Dog by Alan David Perkins. The play revolves around six different individuals unable to effectively communicate with people in their lives, who find the courage to socialize on the Internet, protected by their anonymity.[1] In 1995, Bill Gates paid $200 (USD) for the rights to use the cartoon in his book, The Road Ahead.[1] It is believed[citation needed] that cartoon also inspired Apple to name their OpenDoc based web browser Cyberdog. The slogan had been used extensively in the OpenDoc and Cyberdog community.[citation needed]

[edit] Additions

 This section does not cite any references or sources. (May 2008)
Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed.

The cartoon has also been spread with a second sentence: "But they know you buy dog food" showing the contrariness related to personal data in the internet. On the one hand, you can perfectly hide your gender, race or even species. On the other hand, all data that you provide can be stored and duplicated ad infinitum.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Fleishman, Glenn (2000-12-14). Cartoon Captures Spirit of the Internet. The New York Times. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
  2. ^ a b The New Yorker (1993). On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog (English). University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill - reprinted for academic discussion. Title 17 U.S. Code. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  3. ^ EURSOC (2007). New Privacy Concerns (English). EURSOC. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  4. ^ Glenn Fleishman (1998). New Yorker Cartoons to Go on Line (English). The New York Times. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  5. ^ Lessig, Lawrence (2006). Code: Version 2.0. Basic Books, 35. ISBN 0465039146. 
  6. ^ Morahan-Martin, J., & Schumacher, P.(2000).Incidence and Correlates of Pathological Internet Use among College Students. Computers and Human Behavior, 16, 13-29.
  7. ^ Jordan, Tim (1999). "3 The virtual individual", Cyberpower: The Culture and Politics of Cyberspace and the Internet. Routledge, 66. ISBN 0415170788. 
  8. ^ a b Trend, David (2001). Reading Digital Culture. Blackwell Publishing, 226-7. ISBN 0631223029. 
  9. ^ Ryan Singel (2007). Fraudster Who Impersonated a Lawyer to Steal Domain Names Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud (English). Wired - CondéNet. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  10. ^ Crickey.com.au (2007). Wikipedia and the PM -- the trail is still hot (English). Crickey.com.au - Private Media Pty Ltd,. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  11. ^ Chuck Salter (2007). From Teenager's Hobby to Booming Online Business (English). CBS KRISTV.com/WorldNow. Retrieved on October 2, 2007.
  12. ^ Taylor, Maxwell; Ethel Quayle (2003). Child Pornography: An Internet Crime. Psychology Press, 97. ISBN 1583912444. 

[edit] Sources

  • Jones, Christopher R. (2004). "7 Nobody knows you're a dog", in Land, Ray; Siân Bayne: Education in Cyberspace. Routledge, 105 pages. ISBN 0415328829. 
  • Nielsen, Jakob (1995). Multimedia and Hypertext: The Internet and Beyond. Morgan Kaufmann, 172 pages. ISBN 978-0125184083. 
  • Nakamura, Lisa (2002). Cybertypes: Race, Ethnicity, and Identity on the Internet. Routledge, 35 pages. ISBN 0415938376. 
  • Schneider, Edgar (2003). Living the Good Life With Autism. Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 44 pages. ISBN 1843107120. 

[edit] External links