Racial identity online; cues and characterizations

Summary
Race and physical body features have been defined in relation to one another for centuries. In an online environment in which cues about physical features are absent, the question is quite literally: how is race read?

Burkhalter proposes that race is read online in several ways: through establishing or assigning a racial identity; use of racial frames (using a phrase like "sisters"); by using an identity (anonymity as disqualifier); through disputes about identity (self-revelation and identity cues); through community collaboration and characterizations; and through exposure to different audiences when items are cross-posted.

Critique
I think it's important to remember that these observations occurred in usenet forums in which the topic of discussion was race and racial identity. It's outside the scope of this study, but I wonder how race is read in other forums? How (if at all) does the context of discussion influence how race is communicated and read online?

Connection
I don't see much discussion of racial identity in Cool Running, even in the off-topic forum. The only potential areas for racial identity cues are the occasional messages about unsafe running areas or close calls with a suspicious person when out on a run. I don't recall that any of these messages had racial undertones (the search tool isn't working, so I have to rely on memory and bookmarks right now), but it might be one the few areas of the forum in which racial identity cues are offered by participants.