_Augmentology 1[L]0[L]1_

Biological science defines _synapses_ as neural units that primarily operate as a juncture between neurons. Synapses are viewed as conductors that are essential in determining functions in the central nervous system. Synaptic connections provide for transmission and production of information crucial to the survival of the relevant organism. Each synaptic connection operates via surges in a system dependent on constant electrochemical streaming. In Synthetic environments, a similar fluid process of content absorption and production, social data surging and information engagement is termed _Synthapticism_.

Synaptic performance is specific to a biological organism; in contrast, synthaptic functioning is specific to synthetic spaces and the entities that inhabit them. Synthetics engage synthaptically through a networked equivalent of geospatial orientation, biochemical triggering and geophysical body language. These equivalences are dependent on the platform[s] involved and levels of operational focus generated. This focus is represented by a concentrated mass of aggregational attention. An illustration of how this focused/concentrated attention manifests is the phenomena of _Crowdsourcing_. Crowdsourcers produce clusters of user-mediated data through surges of concentrated attention. MMOGs also utilize aggregational-generated information through the construction of guilds or collectives.

Synthetics display attentional surges appropriate to synthaptic shiftings. Synthetic environments operate in accordance with this surge potentiality, with users adopting platforms that offer a contemporary catering for the relevant surge. For instance, early adopters flock towards software that allows for adequate community transference. Synthapticism is evident in the transference of attention from one synthetic platform to another via this surging. Contemporary examples of such shifts are MMOGers uptake of the newly released _Age of Conan_ whilst abandoning their current game platforms, or Twitter users migrating to consistently usable micro-blogging software.

Synthapticism produces unprecedented connections between synthetic participants. Adjunctive relationships are constructed via Identity interfacing and cushioned by support networks with a comparable emotional weighting to those found in traditional sociocentric structures [acquaintance>friendship>family>community]. Synthaptic communication may appear as fractured or trivial to those not connected synthaptically. One important component of the establishment of these synthaptically-defined relationships is the formation of appropriate semantic structuring. This will be discussed in _Unpacking the _Synthaptic_: Version 1.1_.

In Social Psychology the concept of _Identity_ formation stresses how a subject is demarcated as an individual. Common Identity definers include geophysical locators via street, city, country and biological factors such as age, weight, and height. Consciousness contributes to Identity formation via assessments of an individual’s personality traits and corresponding _ego development_.

Identity formation is deemed beneficial via the mechanics of statistical marking and the achievable entrenching of a subject into a surrounding social milieu. Medical and psychopathological models frame the concept through a health dichotomy that positions dysfunctional identity as potentially Dissociative. This type of fragmented dissociation from a subject’s internalised concept of self is viewed as undesirable. Alternatively in synthetic environments a type of projected or distributed Identity is considered acceptable _and_ beneficial.

Most synthetic creches - whether they be gamer-pitched, environmental or social networking in orientation - form identities that emulate the ecological or topological. Instead of relying on preformed psychological or sociological architectures, MMOEs and virtual environments encourage deliberately fluctuating Identity construction. These identities, established through the use of avatars or profile creation, alter according to the foibles of specific platforms and interfaces [think: Seesmic, Facebook, Meez, ExitReality, or Vivaty]. A subject may have a multitude of profiles created across a wide distribution base. Each profile may consist of the creation of two-dimensional or three-dimensional projections such as multiple character creation in WoW. Individuals may also utilise programs that allow for cross-navigation of such profiles according to usage patterns. These staggered profiles create a type of _Socialphrenic_ functioning that eclipses solo-persona extensions. For example, a Facebook user may create a profile that constructs a user’s identity according to variables such as their name, age, education, employment and interests. However, a user is not restricted in terms of manipulating these answers to evoke an identity structure vastly removed from their primary geophysical housing. An illustration of this is a current ARG narrative strand that situates itself in two active “false” user profiles on _Twitter_ and _Facebook_. The fictionalised Identity associated with each profile encourages other traditional identity-defined users to interact and engage with it. Some of those users defined as reflecting a _true_ identity may be unaware of the fictionalised profiling involved.

Other identity intonations can be creatively interpreted via the employment of Gravatars or Profile picture selections. This selective presentation of visual Identity stamps are mirrored in channel adoptions appropriate to specific Synthaptic identities. Connected users display the slipperiness of identity markers when engaged within a synthetic environment; users may reference a fellow Synthetic by their character/avatar name even when interacting in phenomenologically-defined reality.

According to traditional psychological theory, these type of identity ecologies would represent a subtle splintering of a primary identity akin to Schizophrenia. In synthetic realities, they represent a user’s ability for comprehensive immersion and allow for seamless and aggregational engagement. There is room for an overlap of these constructions including the potentiality to learn extensively from these synthetic Identity formulations.