Tutorial Six

The internet and online communities

Provide the web address and the name of the community you are investigating

Myspace.

Chatroooms, blogs, forums, music, film, T.V., games, horoscopes, videos and advertising. This site is very interactive as it is easy to join up to groups and leave messages on other peoples or groups blog pages. You can ask questions and have -them answered within seconds.


Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on why people choose to contribute to this community. What is it they are seeking? From lecture...

Peter Kollock (1999)

- Anticipated reciprocity
- Increased recognition
- Sense of efficacy
- Sence of community



Cut and paste an example of the type of topics being discussed (you may have to provide a context to your excerpt).

Privacy | Help | Sign Up People MySpace Web Music Video Home | Browse | Search | Invite | Mail | Blogs | Favourites | Forum | Groups | Events | Film | MySpaceTV | Music | Games | Apps

Cool New Videos on MySpaceTV 69,290 uploaded today!


-Popcorn With Cell Phones
-Rooster
Vs. Mop
-Finger Spin Tricks
-Crazy Glowing Skateboards


Considering material presented during the course and make comment on the potential ethical issues that may arise in this community e.g. lack of identity and accountability.
"When technology is injected into a setting, the roles and responsibilities of those in that setting change. What might have been obvious ways to assess responsibility in a less technologically supported environment become obscured when the human-technology balance is recalibrated with the introduction of new technology. In such cases, the new responsibilities and relationships need to be identified and articulated so that people know what their new role entails and the necessary requisites for performing it."

Retrieved February 14, 2007 from, http//plato.stanford.edu/entries/computing-responsibility.

On myspace people have the opportunity to be someone they're not. It is easy to pretend to be someone else and give information that is not accurate.

Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment on the benefits this community holds over traditional notions of community e.g. communities reliant on geographic proximity

-Can compliment real life communities
-Can provide large amounts of information
-Can provide connections over great distances instantly
-Ability to connect with people of similar interests/needs/concerns
-Can foster understanding and unity
-Can allow silent observation prior to participation
-Often without monetary cost
-Individual generally have an equality of voice. A move away from mass media.
-Speed of information sharing
-Ability to monitor and regulate users.


Consider material presented during the lecture and make comment what this community lacks or can not provide which traditional communities can.

-Digital divide (who has access)
-Technology compatibility
-Misuse
-Delusional reliance on virtual communities
-Rapid grown may result in unwanted or unperceived changes
-Limited communication tools
-Validity of the information being shared
-Who sustains and managers the community