www.bendavidson.co.uk/professional_pages/publications/articles/lrgegrp.htm The Internet and the Large Group Abstract Although communication via the Internet attracts suspicion, it is more similar to other communication media than different. The practical workings and the experience of membership of an Internet forum are described both through some general samples of discourse and through a case study relating to a thread of discourse in which the author was centrally involved. The shared features of this forum and other groups are sketched, drawing on the case study discourse and drawing parallels between the role and function of group analyst and that of group moderator. Other features of the forum which demonstrate some of the large group phenomena described in Kreeger's seminal text are also explored, challenging Foulkes' notion that 'it is ... doubtful whether ... ideal [large group] conditions are realisable'. Ben ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ben Davidson" <bendavidson@totalise.co.uk> To: <air-l@aoir.org> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2002 7:14 AM Subject: Re: [Air-l] case studies of mailinglists

I used a case study approach in a paper The Internet and the Large Group that was published in Group Analysis a few years back:

Davidson, B. (1998) The Internet and the Large Group Group Analysis 31[4] pp.457-471

http://www.bendavidson.co.uk/professional_pages/publications/articles/lrgegr

p.htm

Ben

----- Original Message ----- From: "geert lovink" <geert@desk.nl> To: <air-l@aoir.org> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2002 3:23 AM Subject: [Air-l] case studies of mailinglists

...

Dear Air-l,

for my PhD at the University of Melbourne I have recently written a few case studies of mailinglist communities. Now I am winding up this project and for the introduction and conclusion I would like to refer to a few similar case studies, but I can't find all that many of them. Does anyone have a suggestion? It could be studies about virtual communities but that's perhaps a bit too broad. I am in particularly interested in internal dynamics and issues of sustainability. Any reference is most welcome.

BTW. I do like the (new) afterword Howard Rheingold wrote for his Virtual Community book which MIT Press reprinted recently. I am not sure how welknown this text is. It's a good and honest reassessment of his passions.

Yours,

Geert Lovink (Sydney)

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