Yes / This study investigates the psychological effects of social identity on both posters and lurkers in online brand communities (OBCs). The results reveal the intermediate mechanisms mediating and moderating members’ social identity effects on members’ brand commitment leading to positive word-of-mouth and their resistance to negative information about the brand. This article treats social identity as a multi-dimensional construct. Differences amongst posters and lurkers on the relationships between the cognitive, affective and evaluative components of social identity are investigated along with their positive effect on brand commitment and behavioral consequences. Using a sample of 752 OBC members, both posters and lurkers emerge as valuable members and equally likely to derive social identity from their membership of an OBC. However, there are counter intuitive results for relationships within the research model between active and passive members of OBCs. These results offer implications for theory and can help managers to be better interactive marketers.

Introduktion: Internet består idag av flertalet forum som var och en kan karaktäriseras som en internetkultur. Dessa forum inriktar sig till att antingen anonymisera sina användare för att utnyttja yttrandefrihetens maximala potential, eller icke-anonymitet där användare kan kopplas till personliga uppgifter tillgängliga till de som vistas på forumet. Allt fler svenskar väljer anonymiseringstjänster på grund av de digitala övervakningslagarna som har trätt i kraft under 2000-talet. Syftet: syftet med studien är explorativt, det vill säga att ta reda på hur så kallade lurkers, åskådare, uppfattar anonymitet på internet. Metod: för att samla empiri genomfördes kvalitativa intervjuer med sex stycken så kallade lurkers. Den empiriska datan analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: de analyserade intervjuerna visar att internetkultur omfattar begreppet anonymitet. Anonymiteten utgörs av två kategorier (i.) beteende och (ii.) interaktion. Resultatet visar att internetkulturer utgörs av olika barriärer som bestämmer vad som är tillåtet genom regler och normer. Anonymt beteende beskriver hur man individuellt behandlar eller presenterar sig själv för andra, och anonym interaktion beskriver det samspel som skapas mellan två eller flera användare. Samt genom att ansluta sig till en anonym internetkultur få uttrycka sina äkta åsikter utan konsekvens. Analys: resultatet analyserades övergripande med hjälp av utvecklade dramaturgiska begrepp. / Introduction: Internet today consists of several forums, each of which can be characterized as an Internet culture. These forums focus to either anonymize its users to take advantage of the maximum potential of free speech, or non-anonymity, where users can be linked to personal information available to those who dwell on the forum. More and more Swedes are choosing anonymization because of the digital surveillance laws in force in the 2000s. The purpose: the purpose of this study is exploratory, that is, to find out how so-called lurkers, spectators, perceived anonymity on the Internet. Method: to collect empirical data qualitative interviews with six so-called lurkers was conducted. The empirical data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Result: the analyzed interviews show that the Internet culture embrace the concept of anonymity. Anonymity is composed of two categories (i.) behavior and (ii.) interaction. The results show that Internet culture is made up of different barriers that determine what is permitted by rules and standards. Anonymous behavior describes how an individual treats or presents himself to others, and anonymous interaction describes the interaction that is created between two or more users. By connecting to an anonymous Internet culture gives the individual the option to express their true opinions without consequence. Analysis: the results were analyzed generally by using developed dramaturgical concepts.

We aim to develop knowledge of how new technology, in this case social media, can contribute to how sports fans interact with their idols. Therefore our framing of a question is to present how fans experience their contact with mixed martial arts (MMA) & ultimate fighting championship (UFC) through social media platforms. To specify our study, we also have a supplement question with in which way sports fans uses social media.We have chosen to conduct a qualitative study consisting of interviews and data observations of websites, related to the organization UFC, to approach our main question. We have interviewed nine randomly selected people with one common interest - MMA/UFC. With an implant of theories, consisting of social media, fandom and lurking, on the result of the interview and website data, we try to come closer to a conclusion for our intention with this thesis.Our conclusion is that the interviewed fans express that through the usage of social media, they feel like they have come closer to UFC. They have developed a deeper knowledge about the sport, the members and other fans that shares the same interest. Most of our respondents have a lurking attitude towards the social media usage, which means that they are more like observers and soak in the information and media material. They are active in the searching of material related to UFC, but they are not active in the way of contributing with comments, discussions or material.

Social media is an important part of today's society and Facebook has become a place where more and more companies are being seen. With this, Facebook Brand Communities (BC) has become more common and a part of this phenomenon means that members use of electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) has become important for the consumers and also for the company. In this paper, we investigate how and why eWOM are being used on Fredagspoddens vänner, a BC on Facebook that can be connected to several brands, such as Daisy Grace and Perfect Day Media, and that today has over 10 000 members. The investigation is based on the eight factors for motivating eWOM among users that Hennig-Yhuraus et al. (2004) describes in their article. These are: platform assistance, ventilating negative feelings, concern for other users, positive self-improvement, social benefits, economic driving force, helping the company and seeking advice. Theories on posters and lurkers are also being used, as user behavior is shown to depend on the type of user being investigated. In order to answer the question, a case study has been conducted containing three methods: observation, questionnaire and interview. Respondents for all methods have been members of the community. The result shows that members of the community can not only be divided into user groups of posters and lurkers, but that another user group, likers, are required to define the members that are somewhere between these two completely different user groups. It also emerged that connection between members is important for the members of the community and that eWOM is commonplace, both in terms of negative and positive parts of the community.

Syftet med studien är att presentera ett designkoncept för publika diskussioner på nätet med målet att uppnå djupare diskussioner och minska mängden information overload. Arbetet använder metoden Concept Driven Interaction Design (CDID) som går ut på att skapa ett designkoncept utifrån flera olika teorier som appliceras genom interaktionsdesign. Ett designkoncept innehåller tre delar: ett namn, ett syfte och huvudprinciper. CDID innehåller sju steg som arbetet är utformat efter: 1.      Concept Generation – Summeras i en tabell som jämför diskussioner i forum (med flera antagande) och diskussioner med hjälp av metoden Philosophy for Children (P4C), samt annan teori. 2.      Concept Exploration – Åtta olika designaspekter identifieras utifrån jämförelsetabellen. 3.      Internal Concept Critique – Designaspekterna jämförs med två snarlika diskussionsformat. 4.      Design of Artifacts – Designkoncept version 1 skapas. 5.      External Design Critique – Intervjuer utförs för att undersöka intervjupersonerna generella erfarenheter av online diskussioner, testar antagandena från jämförelsetabellen och ge direkt feedback på första versionen av designkonceptet. 6.      Concept Revisited – Ändringar görs baserat på intervjumaterial och direkt feedback. 7.      Concept Contextualization – Designkonceptet kopplas tillbaka till litteraturen. Studien resulterar i ett designkoncept kallat CoFramer och stödjer dessa huvudprinciper som ställs i kontrast till material som identifierats genom intervjuerna: Tabell 1: CoFramers huvudprinciper och faktorer från intervjuer om diskussioner på forum. CoFramers huvudprinciper | Från intervjuer om diskussioner på forum Strukturerad början och slut | Diskussion utan tydligt slut Begränsat antal deltagare | Stor mängd deltagare Minimum antal deltagare | Många inaktiva åskådare Explicita deltagare | Lite information om deltagare Gemensamma förutsättningar | Otydlighet kring deltagares förutsättningar Begränsad informationstäthet per inlägg | Långa inlägg och/eller snabba inlägg Den röda tråden och parallella trådar | Oftast parallella trådar Aktiv samtalsledare | Outredda missförstånd Studien indikerar på att CoFramer bör resultera i mer strukturerade diskussioner och som utsätter användaren för en lägre mängd information overload och mindre grounding cost jämfört med vad som vanligtvis uppstår i publika diskussioner online. / The focus of this essay is to develop a design concept for online public discussions with deep discussions and low information overload. The method used is Concept Driven Interaction Design (CDID) which involves constructing a design concept by applying a variety of theories in tangible interaction design. A design concept has three basic parts: a name, high-level goals and outlines generic principles. CDID includes seven steps which is used in this work: 1.      Concept Generation – Formatted into a table that compare forum discussion (with several hypothesis) compared to discussions with the method Philosophy for Children (P4C) and other theories. 2.      Concept Exploration – Eight distinct design aspects are identified from the comparison table. 3.      Internal Concept Critique – The design aspects are compared to three similar discussion formats. 4.      Design of Artifacts – Design concept version 1 is created. 5.      External Design Critique – Interviews are conducted to explore their general experience of online discussions, investigate the hypothesis from the comparison table and to seek direct feedback on the first draft of the design concept. 6.      Concept Revisited – Changes are made to the design concept based on the interview material and the direct feedback. 7.      Concept Contextualization – The design concept is related to the original literature. The result of the study is a design concept named CoFramer. CoFramer’s generic principles are summarized and contrasted against factors identified from the interview material in this table: Tabell 2: CoFramer’s generic principles and interviews about online discussions. CoFramer’s generic principles | From interview material on forum discussion Organized start and ending | Discussions without clear ending Limited number of participants | Large number of participants Minimum number of participants | Large number of inactive spectators Explicit participants | Low information about participants Common conditions | Vagueness in participants conditions Limited information density per post | Long posts and/or fast posts The red thread and parallel threads | Often parallel threads Active facilitator | Unresolved misunderstandings The study indicates that CoFramer would create more structured discussions with a lower amount of information overload and less grounding cost compared what normally arise in public online discussions.