1. Theories and Practice of Interactive Media 9 November 2004 Kathy E. Gill

2. Agenda Journals – Errors, Oral v Visual Food Break Angela Clark, MSNBC Discussion Leaders Interactivity, Community and “Play”

3. Community: Introduction What does the word mean to you? What characterizes “effective” communities?

4. Community defined (1/2) 1.a. A group of people living in the same locality and under the same government. b. The district or locality in which such a group lives. 2. A group of people having common interests: the scientific community; the international business community. 3.a. Similarity or identify: a community of interests. b. Sharing, participation and fellowship.

5. Community defined (2/2) 4. Society as a whole; the public. 5. Ecology. a. A group of plants and animals living and interacting with one another in a specific region under relatively similar environmental conditions. b. The region occupied by a group of interacting organisms. From the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1992.

6. Community defined (3/3) “A comprehensive description of the needs of a population that is defined, or defines itself, as a community, and the resources that exist within that community, carried out with the active involvement of the community itself, for the purpose of developing an action plan or other means of improving the quality of life in the community”. (Hawtin, 1994, p5).

7. Characteristics (1/3) Historically tied to the idea of place. Other characteristics associated with community include a "sense of belonging“ a body of shared values a system of social organization interdependency

8. Characteristics (2/3) Neutral ground – people are approachable; give- and-take is expected No class structure - an opportunity to interact apart from social class, rank and roles that divide rather than connect people Conversation is the main activity and is valued in its own right Accessible and accommodating Comprised of “regulars” who set a tone of conviviality and provide an infectious style of interaction

9. Characteristics (3/3) A low profile place A playful mood, where joy and acceptance reign A home-away-from-home where people are regenerated, restored and experience “the freedom to be” Provides the habit of association, necessary for the organization of society Helps people keep in tune with the social world around them Attributes of a Great Good Place - Ray Oldenburg, http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=6251 http://www.seniornet.org/php/default.php?PageID=6251

10. Why study community? Cooley (1983) : all normal humans have a natural affinity for community Communication is the structural process that makes or breaks community Both words stem from same Latin root word, communis, which means common

11. Virtual community “… social aggregations that emerge from the [Internet] when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace” Rheingold, 1993

12. Good or bad? New communication technologies can both draw people together into cohesive communities of interest and isolate them as they retreat into tribalism

13. Communities need cooperation Individuals must believe it is likely to meet again in the future Individuals must be able to identify one another Individuals need information about how someone has behaved in the past From The Evolution of Cooperation

14. Online network benefits (1/3) Creates an early warning system Attunes everyone in the network to each other's needs – more people will know who knows what and will know it faster. Thus knowledge gets to those who can act on it expeditiously

15. Online network benefits (2/3) Multiplies intellectual capital by the power of social capital, reducing social friction and encouraging social cohesion. An ongoing, shared social space connects people and builds relationships across boundaries of geography or discipline

16. Online network benefits (3/3) Provides an ongoing context for knowledge exchange that can be far more effective than memoranda Attracts and retains the best employees by providing access to social capital that is only available within the organization. How Online Social Networks Benefit Organizations, http://www.rheingold.com/Associates/onlinenetworks.html http://www.rheingold.com/Associates/onlinenetworks.html

17. Facilitating technologies Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Usenet MOOs and MUDs Wikis Blogs

18. Examples of Community Slashdot Wikipedia MoveOn Two Ducati Groups DailyKos