Openness as an Asset. Openness as an Asset. A Classification System for Online Communities A Classification System for Online Communities Based on Actor-Network Theory Based on Actor-Network Theory Open Collaboration Track Annalisa Pelizza, Ph.D. July 9 th 2010
Article presented by Annalisa Pelizza at Wikisym 2010 in Gdansk. It sums up the results of the "Tracing back Communities" Ph.D. research (http://www.peacelink.it/mediawatch/a/29995.html)
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Openness as an Asset.Openness as an Asset.A Classification System for Online Communities A Classification System for Online Communities
Based on Actor-Network TheoryBased on Actor-Network Theory
Relationship between ICT and society as simple causation
Community as a stabilized entity whose boundaries are taken for granted
Long chainLong chain Accounts number more
mediators than intermediaries
Many concatenations: each mediator activates other mediators
ICT depicted as mediators: each mediator makes a difference
Community as unstable entity whose boundaries are porous
“Good” accounts
LCA variableLCA variable
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
DVO variableDVO variable
• It measures the degree of openness allowed by groupware architectures
• It replaces focus on type of technology with focus on how code contributes to keep up group boundaries
• Groupware architecture embodies regimes of access and visibility in the form of access policies
• Open groupware architectures = those that establish the potential for non-members to access the assemblage as viewers AND to leave a publicly visible trace of the interaction
MethodMethod
Sample selectionSample selection
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
SolutionSolution Ars Electronica’s Digital
Communities Prize
Competition as arena where meaning emerges from comparison
Recurring elements like spokespersons, anti-groups and boundaries
Competition as place where online networks hit representation
11 submissions awarded from 2004 to 2007
RequirementsRequirements
Data from textual accounts and websites
Situations where the social is made “visible” (meetings, science labs, distance in time/space, breakdowns, archives and museum collections, fiction)
Agencies are made visible into accounts
Techniques of data collection and analysisTechniques of data collection and analysis
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
LCA variableLCA variable
Textual analysis techniques
Analytical partition
Text classification procedures
Analysis sheet
Descriptive categories Operative questions Index
Project objective(s) A
Goals What is the goal(s) that the project aims at
achieving?
A1
Source of boundaries To what element does the entry form appeal in
order to depict the community as a stable, taken for
granted assemblage?
A2
Actors involved B
Addresser Is there any entity that designed/developed the
project?
B1
Addressee Is there any identifiable target of the action of the
Addresser?
Are Addresser and Addressee clearly
distinguishable?
B2a
B2b
Anti-groups/anti -actants Are there anti-actants that inter fere with the course
of action in a negative way?
B3
Actants as mediators Vs.
intermediaries
Is there any entity that contributes with some
competences to the course of action?
Does the actant trigger further actions/mediations?
Does it activate new participants?
Does it introduce a bifurcation in the course of
action?
Does it ÔtransportÕ (shift) or ÔtranslateÕ (modify)
what it is supposed to carry?
Is the output predictabl e starting from the input?
Does the actant determines some other event?
How long is the chain of action? How many
passages can be counted?
B4
B4a
B4b
B4c
B4d
B4e
B4f
B4g
Professional mobilized Are there professionals (journalists, social
scientists, statisticians) quoted as part o f what
makes possible the durable definition of the
community?
B5
Spokesperson Do the spokespersons that speak for the group
existence Ð namely, the author of the entry form Ð
appear as agents in the account?
B6
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
Degrees of visibility of Degrees of visibility of guests’ contentsguests’ contents
• “Invisible”
• “Very low”
• “Rather low”
• “Rather high”
• “Very high”
DVO variableDVO variable
List of all functionalities
Sort out interactive functionalities
Sort out functionalities which allow visible traces
Sort out functionalities which allow visible traces by guests
Techniques of data collection and analysisTechniques of data collection and analysis
ResultsResults
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
LCA variableLCA variable““Long chain” valueLong chain” value
6 cases: • Overmundo
• Tonga.Online
• Word Starts With Me
• Free Software Foundation
• Telestreet/NGVision
OC as actor-network
Dichotomy Addresser/Addressee not relevant
““Short chain” valueShort chain” value 5 cases:
• Akshaya
• Proyecto Cyberela
• Open Clothes
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Canal*Accessible
OC as stabilized assemblages
Broadcast model
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
DVO variableDVO variable““Invisible” or “very Invisible” or “very
low” valuelow” value 4 cases:
• Akshaya
• Proyecto Cyberela
• World Starts With Me
• Tonga.Online
““Rather low” valueRather low” value 2 cases:
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Open Clothes
““Rather high” or “Very Rather high” or “Very high” valuehigh” value
4 cases:• Free Software
Foundation
• Telestreet/NGVision
• dotSUB
• Canal*ACCESSIBLE
Membership as Membership as process of process of
assimilationassimilation SNS (Overmundo)
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
DiscussionDiscussion
Only two variablesOnly two variables
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
• “Openness” = porosity of boundaries
AdvantagesAdvantages
• Abstract applicable to a wider range of cases
• Ordinal variables it allows to cluster communities into four typologies
• ANT’s definition of actor-network it allows to track innovation
Paul Ricœur’s distinction
Principia Divisionis MethodReasons of the
Research Results Discussion
IdeologyIdeology
It tends to preserve identity
Cases in lower-left quadrant
• few mediators
• software establishes impermeable boundaries
UtopiaUtopia
It aims at exploring new possibilities
Cases in upper-right quadrant
• include external elements as mediators
• have not yet closed their digital boundaries to the Outside