To appear in Proceedings of ASIST ‘07
information issues involved in community maintenance and have practical implications for online communityadministrators, members, and social software designers.
Literature Review
Information scientists have long taken an interest in the role of information resources and their associatedcommunity networks in strengthening local communities (e.g., Joan C. Durrance, 1984; Schuler, 1996).Indeed, one of the major functions of (and justifications for) public libraries is their positive impact oncommunities. Researchers have recently drawn attention to the synergies that exist between informationresources (i.e., libraries and librarians) and local communities grappling with social challenges (e.g.,J.C.Durrance et al., 2006). This line of research has led to practical suggestions for strengthening communitiesthrough the use of information resources, technologies, and spaces (e.g., Joan C. Durrance & Pettigrew,2002). Although this work includes discussions of information technology and its role in supporting localcommunities, it has not yet explored the unique social challenges that arise within virtual communities. Thisnew territory is becoming increasingly important to understand as virtual collaborators have become moreinvolved in the creation and use of information resources.Benkler coined the phrase
commons-based peer production
to describe processes whereby large groups ofindividuals voluntarily produce shared information goods and services through the use of technology (2002). Itis contrasted with more traditional forms of production including firms, organization, and markets (Benkler,2002). Numerous successful examples of peer-produced projects (e.g., Wikipedia, Apache, Slashdot, ProjectGutenberg) attest to the viability of this new form of production. However, the countless failed projects attest tothe difficulty of supporting distributed peer production and the need to better understand the social andtechnical factors that lead to its success. Ackerman (2000) characterizes this difficulty as a social–technicalgap, which is “the divide between what we know we must support socially and what we can supporttechnically”. Both Ackerman (2000) and Benkler (2002) call for research that will provide insights into the socialand technical mechanisms that support distributed collaboration. Such research will help us “tap substantiallyunderutilized reserves of human creative effort” (Benkler, 2002).Commons based peer production often occurs in online communities. One type of online community ofparticular interest to information scientists is what Fisher et al. (2006) call question and answer communities. Insuch a community, the primary tasks are understanding and satisfying individuals’ information needs, tasksfamiliar to information professionals of every shape and size. Yet, the distributed, voluntary, computer-mediated environment of online communities introduces new social challenges and old challenges in newguise. For example, the combination of anonymity and lack of social cues due to text-only conversation has ledto an increase in hostile messages, or flames (Dery, 1993). Related “hostile behaviors” include spamming,trolling, and even cyber-rape (Burnett & Buerkle, 2004). Other social challenges include motivatingparticipation, keeping the discussion on-topic
(Kollock & Smith, 1996), and avoiding offensive behaviors suchas over-quoting of prior messages, asking frequently asked questions, and misusing subject headers(McLaughlin, 1995).Several experienced online community administrators and authors have recognized the need for strategies andtechnologies that help address these social challenges within online support communities. For example,Preece (2000) argues that the need to design for “sociability” is at least as important as the need to design for“usability”. Other popular books on building online communities focus on fostering appropriate socialinteractions, rather than the details of the technologies (Kim, 1999; Powazek, 2002). Likewise, the Listserv® manual provides detailed suggestions for email list owners (i.e., administrators) on how to deal with flamewars, promote proper “netiquette”, and welcome newcomers (L-Soft international Inc, 2003). Butler, et al.(2002) used a survey methodology to characterize the current work and motivations of several email listadministrators and members. They found that list administrators play a unique role within communities – onethat encompasses both technical and social responsibilities. They also found that other members shared in thecommunity maintenance activities through participation, recruitment of new members, and even managingsocial dynamics. Although this literature paints a fairly detailed picture of current practices, Preece (2004)argues that there is a need for novel social and technical approaches that help foster etiquette in onlinecommunities.
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