Must Purchase
December 24th, 2005I’m buying a lot of books lately and Communities in Cyberspace is one that I will definitely need for future projects. From the Amazon.com review:
“Editors Smith and Kollock have gathered contributors with a variety of viewpoints to examine both the “legitimacy” of community in cyberspace and to question how it operates. While the authors do conclude that communities in cyberspace are real communities, they explore the sometimes surprising ways in which cybercommunities differ from their geographically based counterparts.”
“There are four primary issues probed here: the question of online identity in an environment where individuals cannot be seen; the question of social order and control in what is, at least on the surface, a largely anarchic environment; the structure and dynamics of online communities; and the cybercommunity as a foundation for collective action.”
Can anyone suggest any similar books for consumption?
One last note: If you are at all interested in online communities and cooperation, I suggest subscribing to Howard Rheingolds Del.icio.us feed. Some great links in there, including a link to the interview with Marc Smith on IT Conversations that led me the book. Del.icio.us is one of the best research tools for ongoing work out there.