This 1996 article by Judith S. Donath examines identity and deception in Usenet. It is quite ethnographic, describing Usenet handles, signatures and slang.
Donath describes several aspects of Usenet groups that are important for understanding identity and deception.
One important theoretical concept is Amotz Zahavi's concept of reliable and unreliable signals, and the 'Handicap principle' that some signals are optimal and reliable indicators of the truth. Assessment signals are signals that are costly and directly related to the trait advertised, like big horns or a thick neck advertising strength. Conventional signals are signals by convention, like a t-shirt or an email signature, and low-cost but unreliable. Of course, this is only a framework to begin discussing the complexities of Usenet posting.
Headers, writing style, signatures can all be signals of a person's true identity.
"Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players." A good troll makes people believe that somebody could really be that clueless.
Others want to be seen as somebody they are not: a bodybuilder or a master hacker. Usenet can have assessment signals that protect groups - the hacker group requires users to hack the newsgroup system in order to post. Some don't want to be seen at all, because of a sensitive topic or more general concerns with privacy.
4chan's /b/ and 'Anonymous' form an interesting counterpoint to this article. Despite nearly all of the participants lacking personal identities, Anon has a very highly developed collective identity. Identity may be important, but it does not necessarily need to be singular.
/b/ may also be a place where conventional signals are almost entirely useless. Only truly being aware of the memes and skills of an oldbie can identify one as such. Ie. 'triforcing'
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