Heider’s balance theory has been a cornerstone of structural explanations and explorations of network dynamics. Most frequently, Heider’s theory is interpreted as inducing reciprocated and transitive ties among nodes in a graph. Empirical work consistently shows that these structural features (reciprocity and transitivity) occur in naturally emergent networks more often than we would expect und...

More than most other web applications, Second Life illustrates the potential of the Internet to amplify the fragmentation of human personality by inducing a manifold of "dummy identities" strictly dissociated from the piloting core personality behind the screen. In contrast to partialized offline identities as they emerge as correlates of "crossing social circles" (Georg Simmel), they transport...