The dynamics of online culture & community

This information was published originally on July 5, 1999; some of the URLs are no longer functional. You can still find the information though -- simply type in the URL that isn't working into archive.org.

 
You may also want to refer your online volunteers (and all staff, actually) to these online Netiquette guides:

Netiquette Guidelines
http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html
Includes an excellent bibliography for more information as well. By Sally Hambridge of Intel Corporation.

Netiquette
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/book/index.html
By Virginia Shea, published by Albion Books. This online edition contains all the text and graphics from the bound book.

online etiquette - netiquette uncensored
http://www.theistudio.com/netiquette/

Spam Is Not the Worst of It:
Email etiquette and related gripes
http://unquietmind.com/e-mail.html

Open Directory's Netiquette Links
http://dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Etiquette/

 
E-Mail Communication and Relationships
Dr. John Suler of the Department of Psychology at Rider University, presents a very detailed document that explores the psychological dimensions of environments created by computers and online networks. "It is intended as an evolving conceptual framework for understanding the various psychological components of cyberspace and how people react to and behave within it." Part of an even larger work, Psychology of Cyberspace, also available on this Web site.

 
Online Community Toolkit
A great set of tools regarding online communities, from what they are to how to facilitate them to sample online community guidelines, rules and member agreements. This collection of helpful articles are by Full Circle Associates Nancy White, Sue Boettcher and Heather Duggan.

 
What's Working in Online Community Building
Resources from the Benton Foundation, including "Building Online Communities: Transforming Assumptions into Success", "Tips for Gaining More Experience in Online Community Building," and the transcripts from an online discussion hosted by the Benton Foundation Oct. 27 - Nov. 4 regarding building community on the Internet.

 
Social MUSHes and the
Anxiety of Communication
An abstract for a study by Christopher N. Larsen of Harvard on why online interactions are particularly appealing for those who experience anxiety during face-to-face conversation and for people with disabilities, as well as the characteristics that can emerge on an online community. This is part of the Journal of Virtual Environments, a "refereed electronic journal" which publishes academic research that relates to Virtual Environments or makes use of Virtual Environments. Of particular interest are psychological, anthropological, sociological approaches, as are the practical and technical aspects of creating, maintaining and administrating VEs.

 
Communication and Trust in Global Virtual Teams
an in-depth academic study by Dr. Sirkka L. Jarvenpaa that "explores the challenges of creating and maintaining trust in a global virtual team," particularly those that involve people of different cultures and interest, and varying degrees of commitment.

 
WELL Community Guidelines
http://www.thewell.com/conf/guidelines.html
an excellent example of rules for online communities and moderators. Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link (WELL) began in 1985, starting with a dialog between the writers and readers of the Whole Earth Review. The WELL is now a "cluster of electronic villages on the Internet." There are more than 260 Conferences open to WELL members, covering subject categories such as "Parenting," "The Future," or "Pop Culture." WELL members have founded advocacy organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and their experiences have been used to explore online culture and community (such as in Howard Rheingold's The Virtual Community.

 
Psychology of Virtual Communities
Created and maintained by Storm A. King. An index of online journals and e-mail discussion groups that deal with the psychology of virtual communities and links to sites for researchers interested in the psychology of virtual communities; AND, research articles and essays by Storm A. King about Virtual Therapy, Online Self-Help Groups and The Psychology of Cyberspace.

 
Resource Center for Cyberculture Studies
A not-for-profit organization working to research, study, teach, support and create diverse and dynamic elements of cyberculture. RCCS seeks to establish and support ongoing conversations about the emerging field, to foster a community of students, scholars, teachers, explorers, and builders of cyberculture, and to showcase various models, works-in-progress and online projects.

 
Online Communities: Opportunities and Challenges
Includes information on getting a community to become "effective online," and lessons from experience. By European Telework Online, "the European and International focal point for information, news and discussion on Telework, Teletrade and Telecooperation."

 
PsyberPsychology: A Literature Review Pertaining to the Psycho/Social Aspects of Multi-User Dimensions (MUDS) in Cyberspace
by James Sempsey III of Temple University. The history and development of virtual groups are briefly explained, with a particular emphasis placed upon the evolution of MUD environments. The "current" state of research in this area (gathered from multiple disciplines and originally published in 1996) is examined and the various emergent psycho/social phenomena of MUD interaction are identified and examined.

 
Using Real-Time Communications
With Volunteers
A growing number of organizations are using real-time communications -- usually called "chats" -- to hold online meetings with volunteers, or to allow volunteers to interact with staff, clients, or each other. This resource provides more information on chats -- what they are, how agencies are using them to interact with volunteers, tips to encourage and maintain participation in chats, and where to find chat software. This resource was developed by the Virtual Volunteering Project.

 
Internet discussion groups for volunteers
Many agencies have created e-mail-based discussion groups or newsgroups for their volunteers. These asynchronous online tools allow agencies to easily make announcements to volunteers, and sometimes also allow volunteers to interact with each other, get suggestions and feedback, and ask questions. They can also serve as a written record of participation, concerns, trends and issues for volunteers. Unlike chats, volunteers can participate whenever they wish, and they don't need special software to do so. This resource was developed by the Virtual Volunteering Project.

 
Connecting Humans: Essays on the Positive Side of Online Culture
Information, essays and examples that illustrate how cyberspace is bringing us together, not closing us off to each other. The kickoff essay is how Fan-Based Online Groups Use the Internet to Make a Difference. Includes examples of such groups, with comments from members regarding their online philanthropic activities and what makes them successful. This resource was developed by the Virtual Volunteering Project.

 
Groupware Links
CSCW or "Computer-Supported Cooperative Work" is the study of how people work together using computer technology. Typical types of applications include e-mail, awareness and notification systems, video conferencing, chat systems, multi-player games, and real time shared applications (such as collaborative writing or drawing). This site offers more information about CSCW, as well as many, many helpful links.

 
The forums of the Virtual Community Center at Electric Minds. The Center is made up of many online discussions covering the social aspects of working together online, primarily as an online community and in terms of many-to-many communications.

These resources were developed originally for The Virtual Volunteering Project and were written and compiled by Jayne Cravens, unless noted otherwise.

 
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Return to Index of Online Culture Resources

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