Gerald C. (Jerry) Kane
Assistant Professor,
Carroll School of Management,
Boston College
November 19, 2010
Speakman Hall 200, 1000am – 1130am
Jerry will present two papers related to online communities of practice and user generated content.
Title 1: Network Characteristics and the Value of Collaborative User-Generated Content
Abstract 1
User-generated content increasingly is created through the collaborative e
orts of multiple individuals. Characteristics of the network associated with the creation of collaborative content should therefore influence content value. A social network analysis, applied to Wikipedia’s Medicine Wikiproject, reveals a curvilinear relationship between the number of distinct contributors to user-generated content and viewership. Glob ally central content|characterized by connections to more prominent collaborative content in the overall network|generates greater viewership. Contrary to previous theory, locally central content|characterized by greater intensity of work by contributors to multiple content source is negatively associated with viewership. In addition, network e
ects are stronger for newer collaborative user-generated content. A recursive relationship between contribution and viewership activity suggests a virtuous cycle between the value ofand contribution to user-generated content, but this dynamic matures and stabilizes over time. Finally, effects of network characteristics on value di
er for the most and least viewed content. These
findings have implications for fostering collaborative user-generated content.
Title 2: A Longitudinal Model of Perspective making and Perspective Taking within Fluid Online Collectives
Abstract 2
Although considerable research has investigated perspective making and perspective taking processes in existing communities of practice, little research has explored how these processes are manifest in fluid online collectives. Fluid collectives do not share common emotional bonds, shared languages, mental models, or clearly defined boundaries that are common in communities of practices and that aid in the perspective development process. This paper conducts a retrospective case study of a revelatory online collective – the autism article on Wikipedia – to explore how the collective develops a perspective over time with a fluid group of diverse participants surrounding a highly contentious issue. We find that the collective develops a perspective over time through three archetypical challenges – chaotic perspective taking, perspective shaping, and perspective defending. Using this data, we develop a longitudinal model of perspective development. The theoretical implications are discussed and a set of propositions are developed for testing in more generalized settings.
For a copy of the paper1, click here.
For a copy of the paper2, click here.