Department of Computer Science City College of New York City College of New York Spring 2006 Copyright © 2006 by Abbe Mowshowitz CSc 375 SOCIAL ISSUES IN COMPUTING

TOPIC 13. VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES A.Notion of Community social interaction sharing norms social control – endogenous (internal pressure) – exogenous (external coercion)

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES B. Features of Virtual Community 1. Virtual co-location (vs. physical presence) 2. Shared interest (vs. affective ties) 3. Mediated communication (vs. face to face)

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES C. Examples: casual 1. Chat groups 2. Special interest groups (e.g., games & hobbies) 3. Social or personal networks

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES D. Examples: formal 1. User groups 2. Cooperative work groups 3. Political action groups 4. Virtual classrooms 5. Affinity groups

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES D.1. User groups 1. Company sponsored – Stimulate brand loyalty – Market new products/services 2. User-organized groups – Mutual assistance – Information about new products

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES D.2. Cooperative work groups a. Supporting technologies – Video conferencing – Computer or data conferencing b. Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) – ‘Teams’ within an office – Across a firm or between firms

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES D.3. Political Action Groups a. Party campaigns b. Lobbying c. Grass roots activity (e.g., protests, boycotts)

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES D.4. Virtual Classrooms a. adjunct to conventional class b. distance learning

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES D.5. Affinity Groups a. Support for traditional groups b. Fundraising c. Examples: college alumni, professional societies

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES E. Commercial Implications 1. Changes in character of work – Participation in teams – Shifting from one activity to another 2. Customer relations – company loyalty – brand loyalty

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES E. Commercial Implications 3. Advertising and marketing – Distribute advertising to group – Use group as sounding board – Distribute product/service notices

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES E. Commercial Implications 4. Diffusion of knowledge – Group members teach each other – Company sponsored events

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 1. Education – Changes in formal education Virtual classroom Distance learning – Infrastructure for life-long learning

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 2. Politics – Political education or action groups – Enhanced capabilities of persuasion Improved profiling and targeting Rapid adaptation to issues Different messages to different groups

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 3. Social Status – VC replaces conventional community – Increased mobility – Simultaneous, multiple memberships – Identity less bound to place – Ease of shifting group commitments

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 4. Social control a. Endogenous: group pressure (e.g., scolding messages for misbehavior) b. Exogenous: external intervention (e.g., rules about posting privileges)

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES QUESTIONS 1. How can ethical behavior be cultivated in virtual communities? 2. How important is physical presence (or lack thereof) in exerting ‘corrective’ pressure on members who violate norms?

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 5. Trust in virtual teams a. Trust is essential to effective cooperation b. Mutual trust is conditioned on mutual knowledge

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 5. Trust in virtual teams c. Empirical observations “Trust needs touch” Trust-formation hierarchy: face-to-face, telephone, text-chat, Periodic face-to-face meetings useful

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 5. Trust in virtual teams d. Dimensions of trust formation Some are more trusting than others Trust is situation dependent (e.g., might leave valuables here but not there) Face-to-face provides more information than mediated communication Telephone & text-chat lack visible cues; low on interactivity; videoconferencing unproven

VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES F. Broad Social Implications 6. Communication & social grouping a. Advantages of mediated communication: speed, scope, cost b. Advantages of virtual community Ease of switching in and out Stable, shared memory