This thesis attempts to contribute to the general recognition of the phenomenon known as active audience that is generated by technical possibilities of contemporary digitalized media world collectively known as the era of Web 2.0. In this respect, the thesis follows the specific aspects, which accompany the transition from traditional ways of communication and methods of spreading information in the new and constantly evolving world of cyberspace. The thesis is based on the current general principles and theories, which are applied and compared in a relevant form at the Fan community site Slavistickenoviny.cz. The thesis follows two main directions. The first one focuses on the Web site as a product of citizen journalism. It deals with a comparison of the efforts of its authors with professional media outcomes. It also observes the rules, that are taken from the media and on the contrary evaluates differences. At the same time, the thesis deals with professional media taking over the amateur content. The second main aim focuses on a virtual community formed around the web itself. With application of qualitative research and discourse analyses, the thesis focuses on the search of internal mechanisms and the principles of the virtual community functioning. It reveals its overt and covert manifestations and...

O uso de fóruns eletrônicos como atividade complementar aos programas de formação continuada de professores tem se tornado cada vez mais freqüente com a disseminação das Tecnologias da Informação e Comunicação. Este estudo analisa as estratégias de domínio e apropriação do fórum eletrônico por professores, a partir da análise de interações discursivas na comunidade virtual do programa Educar na Sociedade da Informação, da Universidade de São Paulo. Investigamos também a forma como essa interlocução contribui para a identificação dos sentidos do uso dessas mesmas tecnologias na educação escolar. Observamos nas mensagens as marcas das transformações geradas no processo de comunicação, a partir de peculiaridades dessa tecnologia, como assincronia, comunicação multipolar, suspensão do contexto espacial, utilização da escrita, suporte hipertextual, dependência da infra-estrutura de suporte e equipamentos para acesso. Os referenciais dos estudos socioculturais e da teoria da ação mediada estão na base de nossa metodologia de análise. O conceito de ferramenta cultural, proposto por Lev S. Vigotski e aprofundado por James Wertsch, nos auxilia a verificar as diferentes maneiras encontradas pelos professores para transpor as dificuldades dessa nova situação, como a necessidade de construção contínua de contexto, a criação de identidade da comunidade de interlocução, o convívio com uma temporalidade diferenciada, entre outras. A identificação dos gêneros dos discursos, das diferentes vozes e dos elos entre os enunciados nos permite investigar os contornos das relações dialógicas presentes no fórum, conforme definidas por Mikhail Bakhtin. / Asynchronous discussion groups have been increasingly used as supplementary activity in teacher training programs since the spread of Information and Communication Technologies in society. Through the analysis of discursive interactions at the \"Educar na Sociedade da Informação\" virtual community, a project at University of São Paulo, this research focuses on teachers\' strategies of mastery and appropriation of these technologies. It investigates how the dialogue inside this discussion group helps teachers to find meaning to the changes that may arrive in their everyday practice at school. Messages originated in the virtual community are used to track traces of change in the communication process which derive from the specificity of the internet. A sociocultural approach and mediated action theory provide the theoretical framework for our methodology. Lev S. Vygotsky\'s concept of cultural tools, revised by James Wertsch, helps us verify the ways teachers find to face this new context. Identifying common speech genres, the mobilization of different voices and the connections between utterances in the discussion group lead us to the origin of the dialogic relationships as defined by Mikhail Bakhtin.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-22T17:26:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Chris_Heemann_Tese.pdf: 2831044 bytes, checksum: a982b75c965b7dd41a9055997c06025b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-12-17 / Virtual learning is distinguished from previous models of distance education for its capacity of creating virtual communities, since students want to have social experiences and be connected to other people. The virtual environment is appropriate for facilitating learning, since students are stimulated to meet each other and work together. However, without the formation of a virtual community that builds knowledge together, nothing new or different is being done. Nor studying in an online environment is a proposition for the community formation. Thus, studies about pedagogical actions related to the building of virtual learning communities, which is the scope of our work, are necessary. Considering that learning is a process that happens in the interaction among the members of a group that build knowledge from a shared action, we emphasize the importance of social exchange and use of tools for the development of the individual´s potentialities. Because of this, the objective of this research is to verify the process of a virtual learning community formation, identifying factors that foster, through interactions, or constrain, through contradictions, the building of this community in an online educational context. The theoretical underpinnings are Activity Theory (LEONTIEV, 1978; ENGESTRÖM, 1987; 1997), a philosophical and interdisciplinary framework for studying different forms of human practices (activity), and Vygotsky‟s assumptions. The context of this investigation is the discipline Português Redacional Básico online (PRB) delivered to two groups in the virtual learning environment TelEduc. We conclude that distinct factors contribute to build a virtual learning community contributing, in many ways, to its formation. Besides these factors, though, there are others that limit the formation of the same community, bringing conflicts to the central activity system / A aprendizagem virtual distingue-se dos paradigmas anteriores de educação a distância (EAD) pela capacidade de criar comunidades virtuais, pois os alunos querem vivenciar experiências que envolvam o social e os conecte a outras pessoas. O meio digital é apropriado para facilitar a aprendizagem, uma vez que os alunos são estimulados a se encontrarem e trabalharem juntos. No entanto, sem a formação de uma comunidade virtual que constrói saberes conjuntamente, nada estará sendo feito de novo ou diferente. Tampouco estudar em um ambiente online é premissa para a formação da comunidade. Assim, estudos sobre iniciativas pedagógicas acerca da formação de comunidades de aprendizagem virtual, foco de interesse deste trabalho, são necessários. Partindo do pressuposto de que a aprendizagem é um processo que acontece na interação entre membros de um grupo que constroem conhecimento a partir de uma ação partilhada, destacamos a importância das trocas sociais e do uso de ferramentas para o desenvolvimento das potencialidades do individuo. Em função disso, o objetivo desta pesquisa é verificar o processo de formação de uma comunidade virtual de aprendizagem, identificando fatores que contribuem, por meio das interações, ou limitam, por meio das contradições, a constituição dessa comunidade em um contexto educacional online. Para fundamentar essa análise, utilizamos a perspectiva da Teoria da Atividade (LEONTIEV, 1978; ENGESTRÖM, 1987; 1997), que é uma estrutura filosófica e interdisciplinar para estudar diferentes formas de práticas humanas (atividade), e os pressupostos de Vygotsky. O contexto da investigação é a disciplina de Português Redacional Básico online (PRB), ministrada para duas turmas no ambiente virtual de aprendizagem TelEduc. Concluímos que fatores distintos concorrem para a criação de uma comunidade virtual de aprendizagem, contribuindo de vários modos para sua formação. Além desses fatores, no entanto, há também outros que dificultam a formação dessa mesma comunidade, trazendo conflitos para o sistema de atividade central

Flashback is one of the most well known internet forums in Sweden. People visit the site to discuss different topics, to share information, to express opinions or to read posts by others. On Flashback’s ‘crime forum’ the users gather to share information but also to express opinions. These discussions have a tendency to become heated and with the increased wave of gangrelated violence and shootings in Malmö, Sweden 2018, forums like Flashback play an important role in what information is available to the public. This case was used to form the study’s main questions; How are facts used in threads and what are their sources? How do users interpret these events and how is it expressed through reasoning and personal opinions? How are opinions, behaviour and virtual community formed in an environment based on anonymity? To form a case and further investigate these questions we have organized different Flashback posts related to the Malmö-shootings and categorized them into themes. The interpretations would later on show various conclusions. Some conclusions were predicted, while other conclusions were shown when analyzing the material. The results showed that flashback-users use facts when sharing a link, to strengthen the shared information, to support theories about the case and sometimes when discussing the victims or suspects involved. How users interpret the events on Flashback is based on the intention of the individual. Some users are more likely to discuss political aspects. Other users intend to discuss the matter with an humours tone, these posts can be seen as an disinhibition effect (Suler 2004). Identity has shown to be a useful factor when analyzing an internet-forum. A conclusion from analyzing identity shows that behaviours are encouraged when the fear of being exposed is averted. Overall the result shows that the foundation of the virtual community on Flashback is the information that is shared between users.

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<p>At the heart of "American Realities, Diasporic Dreams" lies the following question: How and why do people generate longings for diasporic experience, and what might this have to do with nationally-specific affective and political economies of race, gender, and age? This dissertation focuses on the women of Girlfriend Tours International (GFT), a regionally and socio-economically diverse group of Americans, who are also members of the virtual community at www.Jamaicans.com. By completing online research in their web-community, and multi-sited ethnographic research in multiple cities throughout the U.S. and Jamaica, I investigate how this group of African-American women makes sense of the paradoxical nature of their hyphenated-identities, as they explore the contentious relationship between "Blackness" and "Americanness." </p><p>This dissertation examines how these African-American women use travel and the Internet to cope with their experiences of racism and sexism in the United States, while pursuing "happiness" and social belonging within (virtual and territorial) diasporic relationships. Ironically, the "success" of their diasporic dreams and travels is predicated on how well they leverage their national privilege as (African) American citizens in Jamaica. Therefore, I argue that these African-American women establish a complex concept of happiness, one that can only be fulfilled by moving--both virtually and actually--across national borders. In other words, these women require American economic, national, and social capital in order to travel to Jamaica, but simultaneously need the spiritual connection to Jamaica and its people in order to remain hopeful and happy within the national borders of the U.S. Their pursuit of happiness, therefore, raises critical questions that encourage scholars to rethink how we ethnographically document diasporic longings, and how we imagine their relationships to early 21st century notions of the "American Dream."</p> / Dissertation

Because the e-government policy carries out, government departments in Taiwan built many Websites to show some government decree information in these years. Besides, for catching on public opinion they open some Online Public Discussion Forum on Website to create communication channel between people and government. In other words, we can say this function as ¡§Electronic Democracy¡¨ or ¡§Digital Democracy¡¨. In addition to this function, I think about whether Online Public Discussion Forum can provide an activity platform for Knowledge Management to promote further some government¡¦s administration policy. This research used ¡§Online Public Discussion Forum of Government Procurement Law¡¨ as case study in view of Knowledge Management process activity about Government Procurement Law¡¦s administration. This research used three perspectives--- administration¡¦s process perspective, Virtual Community¡¦s management perspective, and on-line user¡¦s interaction perspective --- to observe this case study. Moreover, summarize these observation and reference feasibility of Government Procurement Law¡¦s administration in the future to recommend briefly the follow points: 1.Based on quick mobility about Government Procurement¡¦s staff in everywhere government entity, difficultly for expending organization of human resource in order to the government reform, and tendency of Government Procurement system development, I recommend to give priority for codification strategy and secondary for personalization strategy. Moreover, combine process-centred strategy with product-centred strategy to become internet strategy. 2.Integrate transaction-based strategy, systematic strategy and socialized strategy into Knowledge Management strategy for Government Procurement Law¡¦s administration¡G (1) Transaction-based strategy: Recommend to build ¡§Knowledge mapping¡¨. Currently responsible entity (Public Construction Commission, Executive Yuan) promoted ¡§seed teachers¡¨ and add undertaker¡¦s name in the official documents published on Website. Moreover, I suggest classifying and appraising the books, training, seminars and so on about Government Procurement¡¦s topic with the Knowledge Management concept. The way will make users to search information and knowledge conveniently. (2) Systematic strategy: Recommend to attach ¡§Knowledge layer¡¨ to ¡§Data layer¡¨ and ¡§Information layer¡¨ on Website. I suggest that responsible entity reorganize these data and information to present easy-touching knowledge for users. Moreover, cultivate user¡¦s problem-solving and innovation ability by themselves with strengthening invest in information technology and promoting users to use these knowledge, information, data. (3) Socialized strategy: Recommend to build ¡§Knowledge Community¡¨. Currently responsible entity built ¡§Virtual Community¡¨ to create a platform for everywhere users. Moreover, I suggest encouraging users to create and open a variety of ¡§Practice Community¡¨ in their organizations and endowed with Knowledge Worker function. The way can convert Tacit Knowledge among people into Explicit Knowledge and make up ¡§Best Practice¡¨. This reorganized knowledge can transfer and share conveniently. 3.In managing Virtual Community aspect, except for responsible entity playing the role of manager and maintainer, I recommend further to play the role of trigger for Knowledge Management. Moreover, combining performance with Knowledge Worker¡¦s function will encourage employees to do positively Knowledge actively in addition to official-documents everyday. 4.If Management of Procurement Professionals can build classify system in the future, I recommend to implement the appraisal system to understand staff¡¦s knowledge internalization and validate professional ability. Moreover, according to requirement for different users, responsible entity should open different sorts and levels¡¦ ¡§Knowledge Community¡¨. This way can add the depth and breadth of discussion on On-line Forum.

大學校園資訊服務一般是以教學、行政、服務等公務性為主，較缺乏針對學生校園生活之互動性功能，如社團訊息溝通、相簿共享等學生較喜愛之功能。本論文是以某大學所建置學生校園社群網站(http://dono.tw)進行個案研究並線上問卷調查，來評量校園社群網站的使用者滿意度、分析使用者滿意度與各構面關係、以及分析使用者滿意度與使用者基本資料關係。在本論文的滿意度分析中，本研究所提出的五個假設，有三個假設成立，分別為「會員間互動對於滿意度有正相關」、「網路結構對於滿意度有正相關」、「網路科技對於滿意度有正相關」。針對所研究之網站，本論文有下列管理性建議：要改變學生於網路的使用習慣及行為，是相當不容易。建議學校可由整合社群網站功能於學校的學術及行政運作體系或增加使用社群網站之誘因，來提升網站使用率。 / The information services of university campus are usually focused on public affairs such as teaching, administration, and services. And there is lack of interactive functions for student campus life such as the messages communication of campus clubs, the photos sharing, etc., those are the favorite functions of students. Based on the campus student community networks created by an university, this paper conducts a case study and making an online survey. It assesses the user’s satisfaction of the community networks, analyze the relationship between user’s satisfaction and each dimension, and analyze the relationship between the user’s satisfaction and user’s background data. In the satisfaction analysis, we proposed five hypotheses. There are three hypotheses are valid. They are ：”It is positive correlation to satisfaction among the members’ interaction”, “It is positive correlation to satisfaction for web structure”, and “It is positive correlation to satisfaction for web technology”. For the research web, we have the following managerial suggestions: It is not easy to change the custom and behavior of students on network. To improve the utilization rate, we suggest that the university can integrate the community network functions into the academic and administrative affairs system, or to make some incentives to use the community network. Keywords: Virtual Community, Campus Community, Community Web, Web 2.0

Board and Card Game (BCG) sites allow people to connect over the Internet to play virtual versions of games, like Chess or Canasta, that can be played on a physical table. Many of these sites are successful as they have large memberships, are extremely active, and persist for a long time. However, when analysing the BCG site PlayOK, I found that the community did not exhibit behaviours traditionally associated with successful community: there was little verbal communication; most interactions were impersonal and once-only; and the player population was highly transient. The problem is that designers and researchers have a poor understanding of the characteristics of BCG communities, and how those characteristics are affected by factors that are typically seen as important for community such as size and leadership. In this thesis, I improve understanding of BCG site communities through three studies: 1 No research describes community behaviour in BCG sites. I analysed community behaviour in the PlayOK BCG using ‘social accounting’ methods, which generate summary behavioural statistics from log traces. I found that players were motivated by wanting an opponent, without being concerned with the opponent’s identity. 2 The effects of community size on BCG community behaviour are poorly understood. I used social accounting analyses to compare a small site (GameCenter), with the large PlayOK site. I found that the smaller GameCenter exhibits very similar behaviour but is less efficient due to the smaller population. 3 There are no empirical studies of the role of leadership in online game communities through a substantial change in leadership. I used social accounting techniques to analyse GameCenter BCG before and after a substantial change in leadership. I found that sub-communities responded differently according to how they relied on the leadership for their core activities. This research is the first to identify a type of community that is sustained through impersonal, non-verbal interactions. This important because examples exist in BCG sites and may exist as sub-communities in other settings such as online discussion forums, social media sites, and other online games.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-03T12:30:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Valcenir do Vale Costa.pdf: 442601 bytes, checksum: 4f7a6bcf8bd06b254bc16fb760ed4630 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2003-08-15 / The development of new technologies of communication and information does not represent just a new way of forwarding informational contents to people. As it reflects in new possibilities of acting at distance, allowed by the interacting media on line, one perceives a significant change in the behavioral posing of people in their interaction in basic social relations. There is a transformation taking place in the concept of community once the new and coming up communication, due to the nowadays technological scenario, comes to abide with traditional ways of community. This metamorphosis would be the product of a trying of aggregation of social practices taken into effect within the so called virtual communities which carry with themselves a new dynamic of acting at distance disjoint of the immediate social context. Through the methodology of case study, one looked for to know how the coabiding of traditional and emergent forms of community are living together and inter acting. Besides, one looked for to know which results are got from the informational and relational changes occurred in the cyber space. The investigation took place from a case study of a Seventh Day Adventist Church site in which interviews, direct observation and shared observation were used as sources of evidence. The results got from the investigation suggest that the corporeal being wishes to live within a new environment ruled by the digital fluidity, because this is posed as a way in which the informational changes come into an effective and responsive way, while in the social relationships they can be enhanced, confirmed and kept. / O desenvolvimento das novas tecnologias de comunicação e informação não representa apenas uma nova forma de transmitir conteúdos informacionais às pessoas. Ao se refletir nas novas possibilidades de atuação à distância, permitida pela mídia interativa on-line, percebese uma mudança significativa na postura comportamental das pessoas em suas interações nas relações sociais básicas. Há uma transformação ocorrendo no conceito de comunidade, visto que as novas e emergentes formas de comunicação, próprias do atual cenário tecnológico, passam a coabitar com as formas tradicionais de comunidade. Esta metamorfose seria produto de uma tentativa de agregação das práticas sociais realizadas nas comunidades reais dentro de um espaço virtual. Surgem assim as chamadas comunidades virtuais, que carregam consigo uma nova dinâmica de atuação a distância disjunta de contextos sociais imediatos. Através da metodologia de estudo de caso, buscou-se conhecer como as coabitações de formas tradicionais e emergent es de comunidades estão convivendo e interagindo. Além disso, procurou-se conhecer quais são os resultados obtidos das trocas informacionais e relacionais ocorridas no ciberespaço. A investigação se deu a partir do estudo de caso de um site da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia, no qual foram utilizadas entrevistas, observação direta e observação participativa como fontes de evidência. Os resultados obtidos da investigação sugerem que o indivíduo corpóreo deseja viver dentro de uma nova ambiência regida pela fluidez digital, pois esta se apresenta como um meio no qual as trocas informacionais se dão de forma efetiva e responsiva, ao mesmo tempo em que relacionamentos sociais podem ser engendrados, confirmados e mantidos.(AU)