Sense of virtual community: A follow up on its measurement

Understanding the dynamics of virtual communities has become an important issue for research. One concept that explains the participation in online communities is a sense of virtual community (SOVC), which is based on the offline equivalent sense of community (SOC) and describes a “spirit of belonging together”. Although these two concepts are similar, their measurement is problematic. Inspired by earlier studies, which investigated whether traditional SOC measures are appropriate for measuring SOVC, we adopted the SOC index 2 (SCI2) recently developed by Chavis et al. in a virtual setting. Our aim was to determine whether the refined SOC measurement is more suitable for virtual communities than their forerunners. We tested the SCI2 in a popular German community on 312 respondents. Our results showed that a thorough measure of SOVC still needs further refinement. We also discuss possibilities for improvement.     

Narratives of digital life at the trAce Online Writing Centre

This paper examines text-based interactions found on the Internet—that is, stories contributors have told about themselves and their everyday lives, specifically The Noon Quilt, Lost, and Home, as well as Migrating Memories, The Dawn Quilt, and The Road Quilt. All of these sites were developed and managed by the trAce Online Writing Centre between 1998 and 2005.     

Becoming Friends in Online Brand Communities: Evidence From China

With the aid of information technology, consumers have increasingly engaged in social interaction in online brand communities. How can these strangers make friends online? Drawing on embeddedness theory and media richness theory, we examine the antecedents and intermediate mechanisms of online friendship. We theorize that online brand community interactivity aided by instant messaging technology is the main driving force of online friendship, whereas social presence and a sense of yuan (a Chinese concept describing predetermined relations) mediate online friendship development. Online friendship in turn enhances consumer online brand community commitment. We test our conceptual model with a sample of consumers from Chinese online sporting goods forums. The results support our hypotheses and inform online brand community research and practice.     

Knowledge sharing behaviors in e-learning community: Exploring the role of academic self-efficacy and sense of community

The purpose of this study was to explore the structural relationships between knowledge sharing behaviors (KSB), academic self-efficacy (ASE) and sense of community (SoC) of university students in e-learning community. The study was carried out with students who joined Facebook learning community that was created for the Computing I course which was taught with blended learning method. Data were collected from 316 university students by utilizing three self-report instruments: KSB scale, ASE scale (sub-scales: ‘social status’, ‘cognitive applications’ and ‘technical skills’) and classroom community (CC) scale (sub-scales: ‘connectedness’ and ‘learning’). The path analyses with structural equation modeling (SEM) further verified that students’ KSB were related to their ASE and SoC in e-learning community. The results of the study revealed that the ASE and SoC of the students positively affect their KSB. And in terms of sub-scales, the connectedness to the community, learning perception in the community, the self-efficacy of the students on the cognitive applications in the courses and their social status in the community positively affect KSB. However, students’ self-efficacy perceptions on their technical skills affect KSB positively but its affect size was smaller compared to other sub-scales. Further research studies and implications are presented and discussed.     

Exploring the linkages between perceived information accessibility and microblog stickiness: The moderating role of a sense of community

In the context of the exponential increase of information in society, this study examines the relationship between perceived information accessibility and microblog stickiness. The results indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between perceived information accessibility and stickiness. To determine how to avoid the information overload that can compromise the stickiness of the microblog site, this study examines the moderating effects of sense of community. The inverted U-shaped relationship becomes linear as levels of sense of community increase. The results suggest microblog service providers can increase the sense of community in order to reduce the negative impact of information overload on stickiness.     

Effects of review spam in a firm-initiated virtual brand community: Evidence from smartphone customers

Previous studies of spam focus on how to develop effective and efficient algorithms and technologies to monitor, identify, and filter spam to minimize its negative consequences. Few studies have examined the social and psychological impacts of spam on social media users and participants of virtual brand communities (VBCs). This paper develops and tests a research model to explain the mechanism of how review spam influences customer participation in VBCs. We collected both objective data and subjective data from smartphone users in China. We also developed a measure of review spam using objective data. We found that hyper review had positive effects on membership and influence (two dimensions of sense of virtual communities (SOVC)), while the effects of defaming review on membership and influence were negative. Neither hyper view nor defaming review impacted immersion (the third dimension of SOVC). Further, non-review had negative effects on all three dimensions of SOVC that positively influenced future customer participation.     

Motivations in virtual health communities and their relationship to community,connectedness and stress

This study explores the relationships between motivations for joining virtual health communities, online behaviors, and psycho-social outcomes. A sample of 144 women from two virtual health communities focusing on infertility completed survey measures assessing motivations, posting and receiving support, connectedness, community, and stress. Our results indicate that socio-emotional support motivations for joining the community were associated with posting support within the virtual community, while informational motivations were related to receiving support. Further, receiving support was associated with greater sense of virtual community as well as more general feelings of connectedness, which was related to less stress. Implications for virtual health community research are discussed.     

Impact of anonymity on roles of personal and group identities in online communities

Extant research on the control of anonymous human behavior is inconclusive because of its focus on partial aspects of the self-concept. Multiple self-concepts are usually effective in any given situation. Hence, a holistic approach is preferred over a fragmented picture of the self. We investigate anonymous online communities to determine whether multiple self-concepts concurrently control human behavior.Data were collected from 1453 users through a web-based survey. The results showed that multiple self-concepts concurrently influenced argument quality through group norm conformity, whereas private-self directly influenced argument quality. Furthermore, online anonymity decreased the influence of group identity, contrary to existing assertions.     

Online environmental community members’ intention to participate in environmental activities: An application of the theory of planned behavior in the Chinese context

This study investigated the factors associated with online environmental community members’ intention to participate in environmental activities in the Chinese context, employing the framework of the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Using data from a survey of community members (N = 211), structural equation modeling analyses confirmed the roles of subjective norm and self-efficacy in affecting intention to participate in environmental activities. Unlike other TPB studies, however, the study discovered that attitude was not significantly associated with intention. In addition, other relevant factors, including ego involvement, group identification, perceived salience of environmental problems, perceived popularity of environmental activities, and perceived interactivity of the community websites, were found to be associated with the intention of participation, either directly or indirectly. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed.     

Effects of consumer visit to online community and product channel on local sales of large consumer goods: Evidence from real estate industry

Online intermediaries have become important information sources for consumers’ purchase decision making. However, the economic values of consumer visits to two online intermediaries, namely, online community and product channel, have not been well studied. By collecting a dataset on consumer visits from a large real estate website to match with local offline housing sales data, we empirically explore the respective, relative, and interaction effects of consumer visits to online communities and product channels on sales of large consumer goods. We control for relevant factors, account for potential endogeneity issues, and perform various robustness checks to validate the consistency of our findings. Our results show that consumer visits to online communities have a more significant effect than those to product channels in driving sales. However, the interaction effect of consumer visits to these two online intermediaries on sales is negative. We also find that consumer website-related experience has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between consumer visits to product channels and sales. Our findings provide important theoretical contributions and managerial implications.     

Non-public and public online community participation: Needs, attitudes and behavior

Nonpublic participation within an online community, often called lurking, occurs when an individual joins a community, but does not post. This study examines the nature of lurking, why people lurk and the differences in attitudes between lurkers and posters. The results indicate significant differences between people who lurk and those who post in an online community. We conclude that when people lurk they are observing, which in no way is a negative behavior. This introverted or passive behavior affects lurkers' attitudes about the benefits of the community, their expectations, and opinions of themselves and others who lurk. In general lurkers are less optimistic and less positive than those who post. Blair Nonnecke is a usability professional and academic with a particular interest in user-centred design and online communities. Blair is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph where he studies participation in online communities and the usability of in-vehicle navigation devices. His recent research focuses on three areas: survey methods for hard to reach participants, the role participation plays in online learning environments, and factors leading to participation in communities of practice. Dorine Andrews D.C.D. As a specialist in communications design, Dr. Andrews' research and publications focus on both online communities and the implementation of major technology change in organizations. She has taught at Georgetown University's Communications, Culture and Technology program and at the University of Baltimore's School for Interaction Design and Information Architecture. She is now a principal change consultant for RWD Technologies, Inc. headquartered in Baltimore, MD. She can be reached via e-mail at dandrews@rwd.com Jennifer Preece is Professor and Dean of the College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland, USA. Her research and teaching interests focus on human-computer interaction, online communities and social computing. She has authored many papers and books on these topics. Her two most recent books are: Online Communites: “Designing usability, supporting sociability”, and a coauthroed book with Helen Sharp and Yvonne Rogers entiled “Interaction Design: Beyond Human-Computer Interaction”. Both books are published by John Wiley & Sons.     

网上在线支付数字签名的研究与设计

通过研究加密算法和网上在线支付流程，设计了一种新的对交易信息进行数字签名的方法，使得在网上交易过程中，商家不知道顾客的账户信息，银行不知道客户的购买信息的情况下，保证交易的顺利进行,从而达到安全支付的目的。     

The social influence of online collaborative community: the moderating effect of achievement

Online collaborative communities become particularly influential in contemporary Internet economy. However, these communities are often characterised by limited liability. Following the perspective of social influence, this study examines the impacts of three social influence modes in online collaborative communities of a famous online game. The moderating role of a player’s game achievement is also explored. Our results show that community identification is the most influential on online game continuance intention, especially for high achievement players. Community value congruence is likely to affect online game continuance intention for low achievement players. The impact of community normative influence on online game continuance intention appears to be curvilinear. This is more obvious for low achievement players. Implications for research and practice are also discussed.     

Examination of community identification and interpersonal trust on continuous use intention: Evidence from experienced online community members

Members’ continued intention to use a community service is rooted in social identity. Past research has examined social identity but ignored the development of interpersonal trust through community identification. Drawing on social identity theory, one can conclude that community identification is the foundation of a member’s continuous use intention through interpersonal trust. Data come from responses to a two-stage survey of experienced members of an online game-based community. The findings support the belief that the identity of the community will strengthen long-term relationships within it. The projection of community identification on continuous use intention is tied to interpersonal trust.     

Age differences in perceptions of online community participation among non-users: An extension of the Technology Acceptance Model

This study examined age differences in perceptions of online communities held by people who were not yet participating in these relatively new social spaces. Using the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), we investigated the factors that affect future intention to participate in online communities. Our results supported the proposition that perceived usefulness positively affects behavioral intention, yet it was determined that perceived ease of use was not a significant predictor of perceived usefulness. The study also discovered negative relationships between age and Internet self-efficacy and the perceived quality of online community websites. However, the moderating role of age was not found. The findings suggest that the relationships among perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, and intention to participate in online communities do not change with age. Theoretical and practical implications and limitations were discussed.     

Wired mobile phones: the case of community technology centers in favelas of Brazil*

ABSTRACT

The growing spread of mobile phones and internet has some practitioners and scholars arguing about the possible irrelevance of community technology centers (CTCs) serving low-income communities. However, although mobile internet is making great strides, it does not yet substitute for public access; in actuality, mobile phones and computers at CTCs complement each other in providing those who face digital inequalities with a broader sociotechnical experience. In order to explore this problem, this paper explores this experience by investigating how favela residents appropriate mobile phones, posing the question, “how do marginalized populations perceive CTCs in the mobile internet era?” To address this question, I draw on a 10-month ethnography in the favelas of Vitória, Brazil which examines slum residents’ uses of information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as computers and smartphones. Through this research, I demonstrate how marginalized people take advantage of smartphones and computers in a complementary way, using these ICTs to best meet their needs as they experience daily life in a relatively severe environment.     

Expressive aesthetics to ease perceived community support: Exploring personal innovativeness and routinised behaviour as moderators in Tuenti

The aim of this study is to investigate moderating effects of personal innovativeness and routinised behaviour on relationships between expressive aesthetics and perceived community support (PCS) in the domain of the social network site Tuenti. Our research, therefore, contributes to the existing literature by examining the heterogeneous influence of affective cues on the sense of belongingness to a community, and emotional benefits from intense bonds to close members.     

Evaluating the Wisdom of Strangers: The Perceived Credibility of Online Consumer Reviews on Yelp

This study examined the effects of review valence, the reviewer profile, and the receiver's familiarity with the platform (user/nonuser) on the perceived credibility of a review on Yelp.com and on the receiver's attitude toward the reviewed object. The results demonstrated a difference in cue‐taking between users and nonusers. For users, there was an interaction effect of 2 profile cues (number of friends and number of reviews) on competence. Users interpreted the cues in combination, whereas non‐users were not influenced by them. The friends × reviews × platform familiarity interaction indirectly affected attitude through competence. Further, review valence was positively associated with perceived credibility and attitude. The findings support and extend the social information processing theory and cue combination literature.     

Not all posts are treated equal: An empirical investigation of post replying behavior in an online travel community

The post replying behavior in online communities (OCs) has garnered little consideration, even though the feedback behavior represents the central social dynamic of OCs and greatly determines the vibrancy of OCs. To fill this gap, this study aims to identify major sharing post-related variables that explain the heterogeneity in the post replying behavior in knowledge sharing OCs. The research model is validated through a panel dataset assembled from an online travel community. The results reveal that sharing post length and vividness, contributors’ expertise and degree centrality, and members’ social interactions have significant associations with the number of replying posts.     

Online scheduling on two parallel-batching machines with limited restarts to minimize the makespan

We study online scheduling on two unbounded parallel-batching machines with limited restarts to minimize the makespan. In this system jobs arrive over time and a batch can be restarted if and only if all the jobs in it have never been restarted. To tackle this difficult problem, we make the second-restart assumption whereby we can only interrupt a running batch B at time t if both machines are busy at time t and batch B has a later starting time than the other running batch. For this case, we provide a best online algorithm with a competitive ratio . For the general problem, we show that no online algorithms can have a competitive ratio less than 1.298, leaving a gap from 1.298 to 1.366.