Innovation Pathways Through Cyberspace

Innovation pathways in Cyberspace:

How information spreads through the communities of Second Life

Aleks KrotoskiUniversity of Surrey

ExPERT Centre, University of Portsmouth 9 May 2008


Innovation Pathways through Cyberspace

How this seminar will work:

Session 1: The nature of online communitySession 2: Measuring diffusionSession 3: Researching the virtual world



How does information spread?

Aye Kilda

Mynci Gorky

Social Psychology (Persuasion)Social Network Analysis (Diffusion)


Innovation Pathways through Cyberspace: The nature of online community

Things are different online

•Anonymity•Non-verbal social cues•Transient relationships



And relationships are all about one thing:

Trust



How does trust develop online?



Things are the same online

•Pseudonymity•Emotes•Relationship development



Human-centred relationships

•Mutual experience•Openness and honesty•Consensual hallucination



End of Part 1


Innovation Pathways through Cyberspace: Measuring diffusion

Part 2: Measuring diffusion



How does information spread?

Aye Kilda

Mynci Gorky

Social Psychology (Persuasion)Social Network Analysis (Diffusion)



Sociometry: Asking difficult questions:

•Who are your friends?•Who do you trust?•What do you trust them about?

Aye Kilda

Mynci Gorky

Aye Kilda

Mynci Gorky





A few notes about online social networks

•Can define links automatically (meaningless?) •Pseudonymity is essential•Faster turnover of key players (weak ties)•Fewer than 6 degrees of separation•The existence of social capital (when adapted)•Exposure plays a bigger role in diffusion



Diffusion in Second Life

•Measuring relationships•Measuring attitudes•Measuring behaviours

Network N = 6767 N = 750

Average between reachable friends = 5.81

Average number of friends = 7

As sexually activeLess likely to have experienced a breach of personal privacyAs likely to have been scammed



End of Part 2


Innovation Pathways through Cyberspace: Researching the virtual world

Part 3: Researching the virtual world

Qualitative Analysis

• Design• Doing the deed

– Takes longer than you think• Getting the results

– Text-based– Voice-based



Quantitative Analysis

• Design• Doing the deed

– Data capture • Getting the results

– Largesse multiplied by largesse



Representativeness

Men80% in Fantasy

titles20-28 years oldStudents or techy-

types

Women20% of Fantasy-

based games60% of The Sims

Online

30-45 years oldIn a Relationship

70% play with partner



Social Virtual Worlds

• Forty-sixty gender split• Older on average

• (Unless you’re into Disney)



The Unbearable Lightness of Pseudonymity

• Knowing me, knowing my avatar• Curiosity killed the community



Interdisciplinarity

• Internet users are vulnerable:• What risks are associated with publishing or

promoting an online work?



It’s a big big big world out there

Public or Private?

• When public goes private• The Way Back Machine• (Web) Logging



Community

• Drive-by researchers (biting the hands that feed you)

• Public humiliation• Deception



Good Practice & Guidelines

• Informed Consent• Researcher Participation• AoIR



Aleks [email protected]

http://socialsim.wordpress.com

Innovation Pathways Through Cyberspace

Technology

university of portsmouth

innovation pathways

community expert centre

largesse expert centre

disney expert centre

partner expert centre

cyberspace end

diffusion diffusion