User:Reagle/Online Communities 2017-1-SP

In the 90s many people drew a line between the online and offline worlds and asked if online communities were “real.” Over time, scholars concluded “yes,” people share enduring identities, activities, and relations online. In the new millennium, this is not only widely accepted as a fact, but as a focus of significant business interests. Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to explain the dynamics of online communities including joining, governance, conflict, and exit. Furthermore, you will have experience with the development and challenges of online communities via hands-on interventions (including experiments with your own online networks and contributions to Wikipedia). Our orientation will be that of asking: how can one design successful online communities? This could be valuable to you as a participant, as a supporter of a social cause, or as part of your employment. As much as possible, scholarly readings will be complemented by contemporary cases.

See the syllabus for the schedule, and all assignments and due dates.

People

 * Instructor: Reagle (talk)
 * Librarians: AmandaRR123 (talk) & LibrarianBTeam (talk)
 * WikiEd: User:Adam (Wiki Ed) (talk)

Push back
Most of the pushback below is because of perceived promotion and spamminess. What can you do?


 * Find reputable and independent sources for information (e.g., books and newspapers).
 * Reduce number of links to subject's website, which can be interpreted as promotional spam.
 * Remove particulars of a subject (e.g., business hours and payment options) that are likely to change and be interpreted as promoting the subject.
 * Avoid words that connote bias and original research.
 * Be civil, ask for help and specific suggestions, make piecemeal improvements and discuss on article talk page.