Chapter 6 Communicating in Virtual Communities Online Communication

Chapter 6

Communicating in

Virtual Communities

Online Communication

In this chapter, you will learn:

A definition and some historical precedents for

virtual communities;

The qualities that contribute to a virtual community;

The roles people play within these aggregates;

How norms are formed and enforced; and

Objections to the viability of virtual communities.



virtual community:

a shared understanding of inter-relatedness among participants in computer-mediated environments

Precedents for Virtual Communities

Mediated channels such as newspapers helped inspire an imagined community among the citizenry of colonial America.

In the mid-twentieth century, distribution networks called amateur press associations distributed self-published “zines.”

Freenets, such as that in Cleveland, were among the first contemporary virtual communities.


Distinguishing Commonality & Community

gesellschaft:

a collective based on proximity and circumstance

gemeinschaft:

a community based on strong identification with the group


Qualities of Virtual Communities:What makes a community?

Minimum level of interactivity

Variety of communicators

Common public space

Minimum level of sustained membership


Jones, Q. (1997, December). Virtual-communities, virtual settlements & cyber-archaeology: A theoretical outline. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 3 (3) <http://www.ascusc.org/jcmc/vol3/ issue3/jones.html.

Qualities of Virtual Communities:What attracts people to community?

External factors

Temporal structure

Infrastructure of the computer system

Purposes for CMC’s use

Characteristics of the group and its members


Baym, N.K. (1998). The emergence of on-line community. In S.G. Jones (Ed.), Cybersociety 2.0: Revisiting computer-mediated communication and community (pp. 35-68 0. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Who’s Who in the Virtual Community

Netizens

Surfers

Lurkers

Privateers

Newbies



netiquette:

Internet etiquette, a code of accepted behavior for a virtual community

Some Common Rules of Netiquette

Respect others’ feelings, time, bandwidth, privacy, mistakes

Adhere to real-life standards of behavior Know where you are Make yourself look good Share knowledge Help prevent flame wars Don’t abuse your power



Netiquette emerges from within a given virtual community.

When these norms are violated, members can sanction offenders by: harassing or silencing them, capturing their transmissions, or otherwise interfering with their ability to communicate.

Netiquette


Group Decision Support Systems:

computer networking software that allows working groups to process more information, more quickly, with greater participation among its members

Critiques of the Community Metaphor

Access that is required to participate is not available to all

Cyberbalkanization refers to potential for increased fragmentation

Exchange of information may not be sufficient to establish a community


A Brief Review

1. What off-line precedents are there for virtual communities?

2. What roles do Internet users play in virtual communities?

3. What four qualities must be present for there to be a virtual community?

4. How are the norms of netiquette enforced?

5. What threatens the viability of the community metaphor?


Documents

Chapter 6 Communicating in Virtual Communities Online Communication