My take on the issue is that researchers in online environments are either concerned with processes, practices or a combination of the two. Those who are concerned with processes conduct research on the technological structures that enable online interactions. Those who are concerned with practices conduct research on social structures. Others are choosing to use a hybrid approach that combines both process and practice.
From the process perspective, researchers would think MySpace popularity is on the rise due to increasingly larger numbers of user accounts, as opposed to a drop-off. From the process approach, researchers would think there might be a decline based on actions of a select group of users as opposed to practices of those who are new to the service or "power users". The power users are those who are maximizing the service. Lois Scheidt mentioned that some researchers are having participants develop technobiographies, or a hybrid approach. This research approach is representative of the socio-technical approach to conducting research. This approach is grounded in research that was conducted by researchers at the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations in London (England) in the 1950s. Theoretical foundations are the sociotechnical systems theory (STS) and body of literature that is an outcome of application of this approach to conducting research in various settings.
Rob Kling and other informatics researchers, including those who Lois mentioned, are using this approach to conduct research, primarily in face-to-face settings. It is well-suited for online environments. I started using the socio-technical approach a number of years ago, working as a knowledge management professional in environmental science research organizations. The STS body of literature can by located by doing a search that include phrases such as "socio-technical approach", "socio-technical perspective", and "sociotechnical system theory", among others. -------------------------------- Gail Taylor, M.Ed. Human Resource Education Ph.D. Candidate Library and Information Sciences Research Assistant University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign