Online social communities

1
Online social communities

• The interaction between online and offline
  communities

• Fernando Garcia

2
Presentation outline

• The Internet as a communication medium
• Reasons for going online
• Online communities
• Definition
• Purpose
• Progression from online to offline
• Reasons for then going offline
• Examples of how online communities interact with
  real life

3
The Internet as a communication medium

• Not a separate world
• Online world doesnt replace offline world
• What is the Internet being used for?1
• Email
• Reading news
• Shopping
• Information about hobbies
• Online banking
• Instant messaging
• Posting original content (pics, blogs, web sites)

4
The Internet as a communication medium

• A tool
• Sociologists have long known that technology by
  itself does not determine anything. Rather,
  people take technology and use it (or discard it)
  in ways that its developers never dreamed. 2
• for communication
• Some communications methods heavily replaced
  (snail mail), but mostly supplemental5

5
The Internet as a communication medium

• Email and telephone use in important matters2
• Non-email users 36 phone calls, 83 in-person
  meetings
• Email users 41 emails, 58 phone calls, 84
  in-person meetings
• Face-to-face time has not changed
• Despite popularity of email, 40 of internet
  users increase/greatly increase contact with
  family/friends (5.1, decrease) 1
• In other words, the Internet is used to increase
  and supplement communication, rather than replace
  older methods
• Social/communal isolation not normally an issue
• Games
• MUDs, Online games (WoW, Half-Life, etc.)

6
Online communities

• Definition of community in reference to
  existing online debated10,11
• Calhoun (1991)
• Indirect social relationships in which
  connectivity with others is more imagined, or
  parasocial, than real.
• Oldenburg (1989)
• Online communities may fill a need that has been
  all but abandoned in modern societies
• Rheingold (1993)
• Intense feelings of camaraderie, empathy and
  support observed among people in the online
  spaces that were studied
• Maloney-Krichmar, Preece (2005)
• The people who come together for a particular
  purpose, and who are guided by policies
  (including norms and rules) and supported by
  software
• Bruckman (2005)
• Note the similarities and differences of each
  new member and compare them with the
  characteristics of members who are regarded as
  being within the community

7
Online communities

• So then whats this presentation about?
• Common theme common themes
• Communities tend to share a common trait/interest
• Persistent and constant conversation on some
  topic between members (multiple topics happening
  simultaneously)
• Usually initially gathered for a single purpose
• Provides purpose for going online
• Socialization
• Communities have several or many participants
• Communities have many discussions

8
Online communities

• Why do communities form online?12
• Achieve goals
• Practical, explicit (information gathering)
• How to replace timing belt on 2.2L 93 Honda
  Prelude?
• My GF just dumped me how do I deal with it?
• Anyone in UCSB want to play racquetball at Rec
  Cen?
• Benefits inherent to community structure
• Social support
• Friendship
• Sense of belonging (common theme)
• Recreation (like TV, but two-way)

9
Online communities

• Why do communities form online? (cont)
• Easy way of fulfilling needs unmet by other
  methods
• Provide a centralized space for similar people to
  congregate
• Provide an easily-accessible space for similar
  people to congregate
• Meet new individuals
• Discover new interests
• Escape from reality
• Enable us to enhance aspects of known offline
  communities
• Keep in touch with distant friends/relatives
• Share thoughts, pictures, music, notes, etc.,
  easily

10
Online communities

• Examples of currently existing online communities
• Special-interest bulletin boards
• Politics
• Sports
• Nutrition
• Dating
• Multi-purpose boards/sections
• Most special-interest bulletin boards maintain
  Off-topic section
• Craigslist.org
• IRC
• Offtopic.com
• Socialization/information sharing/blogs
• WELL
• Myspace.com
• Xanga.com
• Facebook.com
• Experts-exchange.com
• Blogspot.com

11
Online communities

• Common trends among online communities3
• Collection of people with similar interests
• Centralized creation and participation (such as
  message boards, email lists)
• Individually created and maintained (blogs,
  Myspace)
• Reduced inhibitions concerning expression
• Anonymity appears to provide protection
• Shy people become more outspoken online
• Discussions generally considered taboo can take
  place due to shared interest and lack of public
  retribution
• Strength in numbers
• Trust/comprehension issues
• New members
• Sometimes have no formal introduction
• Arrive unannounced, on their own

12
Online communities

• Trust/comprehension issues (cont)
• Text does not provide tone, expression, or body
  language
• Lack of context may lead to misunderstandings
• You can be very aggressive.
• IMHO you can be very aggressive LOL! -P
• Time between messages longer than conversation
• Information always there (persistent)
• (Usually) constant flow of information

13
Online communities

• When to continue offline?
• Meeting ones needs/goals offline
• Political activists may stage rallies/demonstratio
  ns
• Lonely individuals may meet up with people to
  pursue/maintain a friendship/romance
• Sports enthusiasts organize trips to/meetings at
  games
• Done if practical/worthwhile/beneficial
• Traveling 10 miles to play soccer with a friend
• Traveling 100 miles to engage in a group meeting
• Traveling 1000 miles to have coffee with a future
  spouse

14
WELL

• Whole Earth Lectronic Link8,9
• One of the first popular virtual communities
• Socialization
• In the traditional community, we search through
  our pool of neighbors and professional
  colleagues, of acquaintances and acquaintances of
  acquaintances, in order to find people who share
  our values and interests In a virtual community
  we can go directly to the place where our
  favorite subjects are being discussed...9
• Instant access to information, people
• Medical advice at 11PM faster to go online than
  calling pediatrician
• Parenting conference
• Section strictly dedicated to parenting
• Face-to-face meeting
• Picnic, softball It was a normal American
  community picnic
• Became annual event

15
Netville

• Wired Suburb4 of 109 homes
• 64 homes had broadband Internet access
• 45 homes went without any Internet access
• NET-L neighborhood mailing list
• Love (or at least know) thy neighbor
• Wired residents recognized 3x, talked with and
  visited 2x more neighbors than non-wired
• Wired residents regularly talked with 6
  neighbors, non-wired with 3
• Internet access helps to start relationships
• Housing developer protest
• Dissatisfaction with homes, roads, plumbing, etc.
• Neighborhood-level organization rapid and
  efficient
• 50 participation vs. 20 using conventional
  organization
• Information leaks from those uninvolved in
  protest

16
Pro-Immigration Rallies

• Organization how was it done?
• Television, radio programs key to propogating
  message
• Target audience more likely to watch television
  and listen to radio
• The internet also spread message
• Was the first time some heard of the marches
• Growing sense of support and union pushed some to
  join
• Provided a forum for response and inspiration
• Not possible with television, limited public
  radio participation
• Practical, particular details worked out
• Where to meet? Park? Eat? What to chant?

17
Pro-Immigration Rallies

• Organization (cont)
• Increased communication made possible online
• Wear white
• Dont take Mexican flags
• Dont do anything stupid, pendejos
• Discussion
• Should we really not go to school?
• What message does it really send if we skip out
  of work?
• Speed of organization greatly increased6
• Persistence of messages/information better than
  television
• Constant propogation across thousands of
  websites, email lists, forums, etc.
• Discussion and size of community motivated others
  to join

18
Pro-Immigration Rallies

• Informal, short-but-sweet survey
• 5 individuals average computer users
• All heard about marches online 4 of them first
  heard online (1 TV)
• Common answer to effects of online communication
  motivation
• Increased amounts of information increased desire
  to participate
• Researching issues, comments online
• Most knew people whod sent messages
• Myspace.com You only see their messages if
  theyre your friends.
• Worked out details of how to participate
• Those who didnt organized with known friends
  (offline)
• All wary of strangers online
• Little trust of unknown individuals whod sent
  messages
• Little trust of unknown individuals in general
• Must get to know them in person to trust them

19
Summary

• Online world supplements offline world
• The most social people make online communities
  thrive7
• Increase communication links to others
• Can provide specific, directed channels to
  interest groups
• Online communities a microcosm of real life

20
References

• World Internet Project. The Digital Future Report
  (Year Five) USA. http//www.worldinternetproject
  .net 8 May 2006
• Wellman, B. Connecting Community On- and Offline
  Univ. of Toronto March 2006
• Maloney-Krichmar, D. Preece, J. Online
  Communities Focusing on Sociability and
  Usability (draft copy). Social Computing
  Research http//socialcomputingresearch.net/articl
  es/preece_onlinecommunities.pdf 10 March 2006
• Hampton, K. Wellman, B. Neighboring in
  Netville How the Internet Supports Community and
  Social Capital in a Wired Suburb City and
  Community 2(4). 277-311 2003.
• Jones, S. The Internet Goes to College How
  students are living in the future with todays
  technology Pew Internet and American Life
  Project http//www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_Colleg
  e_Report.pdf 8 May 2006
• Harrison, C. Solis, D. Teens Answer the
  Calland E-mail http//www.innovations.harvard.edu
  /news/11742.html Government Innovators Network,
  Harvard University 8 May 2006

21
References

• Chan, A. Social Interaction Design Case Study
  MySpace Gravity7 http//www.gravity7.com/G7_SID_
  case_myspace_v2.pdf 8 May 2006
• Salon Media Group. WELL http//www.well.com 9
  May 2006
• Rheingold, H. The Virtual Community
  Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier
  http//www.rheingold.com/vc/book/intro.html 9
  May 2006
• Maloney-Krichmar, D. Preece, J. Online
  Communities Design, Theory, and Practice
  Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication,
  10(4). 2005 http//jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue4/
  preece.html
• Thomsen, S. Straubharr, J. Bolyard, D.
  Ethnomethodology and the study of online
  communities exploring the cyber streets
  Information Research 4(1). 1998
  http//informationr.net/ir/4-1/paper50.html
• Gefen, D. Ridings, C. Virtual Community
  Attraction Why People Hang Out Online JCMC
  10(1). Article 4, November 2004