User:Emmariell/sandbox

Deliberation can be defined as being the "act of thinking about or discussing something and deciding carefully" by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In an online political setting, however, it is more complicated than only reaching a decision. Members need to contribute material with an intent for it to be discussed and responded to by others. Participants of online deliberation need to diligently analyze, review, and present the sources of their findings before any decisions can be made. A consensus has to be reached among members of which material to use based on relevancy and quality, and ability to accurately resolve the issue of which they are trying to find a solution to.

Generally, participation in online deliberation forums has been low. This is an issue because representativity is poor and can be swayed towards meeting the wishes of those that participate, consisting of those who are well-educated, and so forth. There is also the possibility that the issues wouldn't even be considered if turnout remains so low. Low levels of influence not only repel legislative bodies, but also potential participants. However, large participation levels present the chance that members are beginning to solely chat on topics, not fully read and evaluate others' inputs. If a forum is deliberate and goal-oriented, and those who participate are forced to have to go through processes to get their opinions out, those who wish to simply chatter will be filtered out, and the forums will be left only with those seriously interested and involved in finding a solution, as explored by Cyril Velikanov in his "Mass Online Deliberation" paper.

Participatory Factors
Online deliberation Internet forums require participants to be able to work together comfortably in order to make the best possible deliberations. In order to do that, as Beth Noveck has put it, forums need to establish "physics" for groups, or rules and regulations have to follow in order for members to feel comfortable with one another. Once comfort is achieved, the environment groups are now in are their "culture," and healthy conversations can now be made. Since participants do not communicate face-to-face, visual queues often make groups more self-aware. For instance, green and red lights can be implemented for when members speak, and therefore the group can visualize if a member isn't participating or involved, or if a member is too involved. This way, imbalances in groups can be avoided, such as gridlocked situations or communication flaws.

Work Management
Systems of "chunking work," or, members self-selecting roles to play in their groups, help to keep work high quality and manageable. Collaboration becomes easier when people choose the way they want to work in whatever way suits them. When members select the method of working that is comfortable to them, they are more likely to remain interested in their subject and produce quality content for their group. If Internet forums can find a way to divide work in a way that members are most comfortable, their outcomes will be better produced.

Rating Systems
Rating systems are valuable to Internet forums because they police both participants and the content they produce to ensure quality material. If members can rate each other based on their collaboration or work produced, then they can more easily trust those who have high ratings to have quality product. The forums themselves can also see these ratings and be able to filter out inappropriate, irrelevant, or low-quality content. Members policing each other forces the members to be cautious and aware about the information they put out. Ratings help to regulate and organize the sites on a large scale, making it easier to sift through content even if there are large amounts of it.