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Online Communities

Online Communities. By Jennifer L. Bowie Based on the readings for class. Questions for discussion. What is the difference between a group and a community? Can a true community form online?. What is a online community?.

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Online Communities

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  1. Online Communities By Jennifer L. Bowie Based on the readings for class

  2. Questions for discussion • What is the difference between a group and a community? • Can a true community form online?

  3. What is a online community? • Online or virtual communities form "when people carry on public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships” Rheingold • Virtual communities are created around common interests • They require: • People • Purpose • Policies • Computer systems (Preece) • Considered “third places” (conversation-based informal environments that are neither work nor home and are a place of community) • They can include (from Preece 13 drawing on ACM): • Shared activities and strong emotional ties • Shared access to resources and policies concerning the resources • Reciprocity of info, services, and support • Shared context including language • There is a sense of community • There are often rituals

  4. Why do people contribute? • According to Peter Kollock there are three non-altruistic motivations: • Anticipated reciprocity: give and get • Increased recognition: become recognized • Sense of efficacy: can effect the environment • Also due to a “sense of community” according to Mark Smith

  5. The community hierarchy According to Amy Jo Kim there are five stages of the community participation hierarchy: • Lurker or visitor: just observe • Novice: begin participating • Regular: have continue participation over a period of time • Leader: further sustained participation with recognition • Elder: long time leader and often a community pillar or “wise person”

  6. Virtual selves? by Peter Steiner page 61 of July 5, 1993 issue of The New Yorker, (Vol.69 (LXIX) no. 20)

  7. From http://www.unc.edu/depts/jomc/academics/dri/idog.html

  8. Virtual selves… • Psychical aspects like race, sex, appearance, and even disabilities are not “evident” online • People can be whoever they want (within reason generally) • This is seen as both positive and negative. Why?

  9. What online communities can you think of? • Why/how are they communities?

  10. The End From: http://www.arcatapet.com/fullsize/11131.jpg

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