University of Macau / Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities / Department of Communication

Social networking sites and virtual spaces have flourished in the past few years. The author explores the impact of such social networking services on the local community at a small liberal arts college. The author investigates modern trends in community theory. Defining community has become more difficult in modern society, where community is no longer easily distinguished by geographical boundaries. From the background of modern community theory the author explores the designation of virtual spaces as “virtual communities.” Literature and research about virtual spaces indicates that they can provide many of the values thought be to inherent to community membership. The strong localized community on campus makes students hesitant in calling Facebook a “virtual community,” despite its strong integration with the face-to-face community itself. Facebook is seen as simply a tool. This thesis incorporates research on one specific case study: through mathematical and ethnographic research of Facebook.com, the author evaluates the opinions of students in considering virtual spaces as communities.

La sustitución del mundo maravilloso encantado por el reencantamiento tecnológico plantea una serie de problemas que atañen al advenimiento de la era digital. Nuestra Tesis intenta aproximarse a una teorización crítica del nuevo entorno virtual. En primer lugar, contextualizando las teorías sobre la técnica y la tecnología con la nueva realidad tecnocientífica, de la que surge una regresión al encantamiento arcaico. En segundo lugar, proponemos relacionar las nuevas tecnologías con el contexto socioeconómico del tardocapitalismo. En tercer lugar, nos ocupamos del reencantamiento en su vertiente digital, a través del condicionamiento estético, la mediación invisible de la experiencia y la afirmación de la unidimensionalidad en la sociedad digital. Como conclusión, la extrañeza con la que afrontamos el estudio de la comunicación digital nos hace vislumbrar en el ciberespacio una segunda realidad maravillosa e inestable, que actúa como fuente de poder al servicio de la economía neoliberal de mercado. / The substitution of the enchanted and wonder world by the technological renchanting offers a sequence of problems concerning the rising of digital era. Our Thesis tries to approach to a critical theorization of the new virtual environment. Firstly, by contextualizing the theories about technique and technology, according with the technoscience and the consecutive return to the enchantment. Secondly, we propose to connect new technologies with the socialeconomic context of late capitalism. Thirdly, we realize the renchanting concerning the digital dimension, through the aesthetic constraints, the invisible mediation of the experience and the affirmation of unidimensionality in digital society. As conclusion, the strangeness in relation to the studies concerning digital communication expect us to treat cyberspace as a wonder and instable second reality, that evolves a power source for neoliberalist and market economy.

The current report reviews the recent literature on online social networking (Facebook and MySpace) and its psychological impact on students. Both the negative and positive effects of online social networking are explored. According to the literature, cyberbullying and sexting have the greatest negative impact on students. However, students greatly benefit from the social capital and friendship maintenance that online social networking provides. Intervention and prevention strategies for the negative consequences of online social networking are included. Finally, this report provides suggestions for counselors and teachers to help students safely use technology. / text

Prekių ženklas yra vienas iš svarbiausių įmonių aktyvų. Tačiau jo reikšmė elektroninėje erdvėje vertinama nevienareikšmiškai. Nors yra daug mokslinių darbų apie prekių ženklo svarbą elektroninėje erdvėje, tačiau pasigendama literatūros apie jo kūrimą ir stiprinimą, taip pat ir rinkodaros srities žinovų apie galimybes, būdus ir priemones ššiam procesui įgyvendinti. ŠŠią spragą stengiasi padengti atskirų rinkodaros priemonių efektyvumo vertinimo, prekių ženklo vertės kūrimo moksliniai tyrimai. Magistro darbo tikslas – įvertinti elektroninės rinkodaros priemonių, taikomų prekių ženklo kūrimo ir stiprinimo procese, svarbą prekių ženklo patirčiai ir konversijai į pardavimus Lietuvos elektroninio verslo įmonių atveju. / Brand is one of most important business intangible assets. But its meaning in cyberspace in ambiguous. Although there are many studies on the importance of brand in cyberspace, but there is a lack of literature on its building and enhancement, as well as expertise in the area of marketing opportunities, ways, means and tools to implement this process. Master theses aim is to evaluate electronic marketing tools used in brand building and enhancement importance for the brand experience and conversion in case of Lithuanian electronic business.

The thesis argues that Neopaganism on the Web is an example of mythopoesis and aims at showing both the novelty and the limits of such mythopoesis. I use the term "mythopoesis" in its original Greek meaning, i.e. "the creation (the making/crafting) of a myth or myths", thus stressing the dynamic way in which the process of creation (of myths, rituals, divinities, identities—all implicitly or explicitly played out, connected, and organised as "stories", which can be told, written or performed, as well as represented as images) unfolds in Neopaganism. Neopagan mythopoesis on the Web is new, original, and structurally different from other previous and contemporary examples of mythopoesis, either religious or not, since it does not refuse, put aside, or implicitly contradict, the rational framework elaborated by Western culture. The research involves exploring the contemporary cultural and historical context that allows for mythopoesis to take place and the technology that allows for it to develop. It analyses the key features of Neopaganism on the Web as they emerge from the mythopoeic recreation of two ancient goddesses (Gaia, and Artemis/Diana) and an ancient ritual (the Eleusinian mysteries). In covering several different fields (from ancient religions, to the Internet, to myth and ritual theory), and in examining a range of heterogeneous materials (from ancient texts, Neopagan hymns and art, to hypertexts), the analysis adopts an interdisciplinary approach.

Social networking sites and virtual spaces have flourished in the past few years. The author explores the impact of such social networking services on the local community at a small liberal arts college. The author investigates modern trends in community theory. Defining community has become more difficult in modern society, where community is no longer easily distinguished by geographical boundaries. From the background of modern community theory the author explores the designation of virtual spaces as “virtual communities.” Literature and research about virtual spaces indicates that they can provide many of the values thought be to inherent to community membership. The strong localized community on campus makes students hesitant in calling Facebook a “virtual community,” despite its strong integration with the face-to-face community itself. Facebook is seen as simply a tool. This thesis incorporates research on one specific case study: through mathematical and ethnographic research of Facebook.com, the author evaluates the opinions of students in considering virtual spaces as communities.

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Este trabalho tem como objetivo identificar e analisar as transformações que ocorreram na (1) atividade de blogar, (2) nas motivações para blogar e (3) nas relações estabelecidas nos blogs pessoais auto-reflexivos, aqueles divulgados pela mídia como “diários virtuais”. Neste estudo, o movimento gerado pela recursividade desses três elementos – motivações, práticas e relações – é chamado de “dinâmica relacional”. A partir da perspectiva de uma antropologia no ciberespaço, é realizado um estudo etnográfico em três blogs pessoais auto-reflexivos. Esta perspectiva antropológica considera as dimensões online e offline complementares e situa o pesquisador como um “nativo” do seu próprio campo de estudo, o ciberespaço. Assim, com base na análise de 1.137 posts, 2.078 comentários e na entrevista individual com as blogueiras, é feita uma “descrição densa” das dinâmicas relacionais dos blogs selecionados. Os resultados indicam que blogs pessoais auto-reflexivos não estão isentos de ações estratégicas, mesmo sendo um espaço para desabafar, meditar e livrar-se das tensões emocionais. Também mostram que características específicas dos blogs pessoais autoreflexivos favorecem o surgimento de sentimentos como afinidade e cumplicidade entre blogueiros e leitores. Mas, à medida que essas relações ganham intimidade, passam ser estabelecidas em outros meios mais responsivos que os blogs – como e-mail, telefone e encontros face a face – e mais fáceis de serem atualizados, como sites de redes sociais e plataformas de micropostagem. / This work aims to identify and to analyze the changes that occurred in (1) blogging activity, (2) motivations for blogging, (3) and relationships established in autoreflexive personal blogs, which are disclosed by the media as “online diaries”. In this study, the movement generated by the recursion of these three elements – motivations, practices and relations – is called “relational dynamics”. By adopting the perspective of anthropology in cyberspace, an ethnographic study is conducted in three autoreflexive personal blogs. This anthropological perspective considers the complementary of online and offline dimensions and it also situates the researcher as a “native” of his own field of study, the cyberspace. Thus, based on analysis of 1,137 posts, 2,078 comments and individual interviews with the bloggers, a “thick description” of the relational dynamics of selected blogs is conducted. The results indicate that autoreflexive personal blogs are not exempt from strategic actions, even being a space to let off steam, to muse and release emotional tensions. The results also show that specific characteristics of autoreflexive personal blogs promote the emergence of feelings such as affinity and complicity between bloggers and readers. However, as these relations become more intimate, they are being established in other media more responsive than blogs – such as e-mail, telephone and face to face meetings – and easier to be updated, as social networking sites and microposting platforms.

Essa tese de doutorado tem o caráter antropológico e é o resultado de uma investigação sobre a virtualidade gerada pelo ciberespaço, que é materializado na Rede de computadores da Internet e as atuais tecnologias digitais e informáticas. Foram pesquisadas três instâncias empíricas em que a dimensão virtual se consolida como condição de interação social: praticantes de jogos virtuais em ambientes de Lan House; usuários da plataforma virtual do Orkut; e, o espaço virtual 3D disponibilizado pelo software Second Life. O trabalho analítico e comparativo considerou as especificidades de cada situação investigada e as recorrências passíveis de generalização. O objetivo do estudo foi responder às perguntas de como os indivíduos contemporâneos lidam com trânsito regular entre as dimensões do on-line (virtual) e do off-line (real), assim como investigar em que medida suas vidas são afetadas pela alternância constante entre esses modos espacial e temporalmente diferentes de comunicação e de interação social. Seguindo o caráter antropológico do estudo foi possível reconstruir os diversos sentidos dados pelos sujeitos ao que seria uma “vida” virtual conectada à “vida” real, que deve ser considerada a condição contemporânea de existência e de representação da realidade dos segmentos investigados. / This PhD thesis has an anthropological character and it is the result of an investigation on the virtuality generated by the cyberspace that is materialized in the Internet and the current digital technologies and computer sciences. Three empirical instances were researched which the virtual dimension consolidates as condition of social interaction: players of virtual games in Lan House atmosphere; users of the virtual platform of Orkut; and, the virtual 3D space showed by the Second Life software. The analytic and comparative work considered the specific elements of each situation investigated and the possible agreement among them. The objective of the study was to answer to the questions of how contemporary individuals work with the regular traffic among the virtual and real dimensions, and how they lives are affected by the constant alternation between those different forms of time and space communication and social interaction. Following the anthropological character of the study, was possible to reconstruct the several meanings given by the subjects to the "virtual life" connected to the "real life", that should be considered as being the contemporary condition of existence and representation of the reality by the investigated segments.