Mito, Have a look at some of the findings from the Netville study. One of the key findings was that Internet use facilitated the formation of weak neighborhood ties and that this had implications for local collective action. I also have an article, "Place-Based and IT Mediated 'Community'" (Planning Theory & Practice 3(2)), that provides a social network argument for why ICTs are particularly likely to build weak neighborhood social ties. In the very near future I should also have a paper with results from my new "E-Neighbors" study of four Boston neighborhoods. Some very interesting findings related to Internet use, social networks, and neighborhoods. In particular a positive relationship between email use, but a negative relationship for Web surfing, and network diversity for both neighborhood and personal networks. You can find the Netville publications and the planning paper on my website www.mysocialnetwork.net -Keith -- Keith N. Hampton, Ph.D. Assistant Professor of Technology, Urban and Community Sociology Associate Housemaster, Sidney-Pacific Department of Urban Studies and Planning Massachusetts Institute of Technology 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 9-522 Cambridge, MA 02139 USA Email: knh@mit.edu Phone: (617) 258-0461 Fax: (617) 253-2654 Web: http://www.mysocialnetwork.net

Message: 3 From: "mito akiyoshi" <sgz01570@nifty.ne.jp> To: <air-l@aoir.org> Date: Mon, 11 Nov 2002 17:51:44 -0600 Organization: The University of Chicago Subject: [Air-l] weak ties, great good place, & cyberspace Reply-To: air-l@aoir.org

Hi everyone,

Does somebody know of publications that apply the notions of weak ties (Granovetter) and/or third place (Oldenburg) to understand ephemeral yet meaningful ties created in and around cyberspace? I began using these concepts to make sense of forms of sociality observed in communities (both "virtual" and offline) I am studying. I read a few papers that make reference to these concepts, But I do not know anything really good. Other than suggestions for readings, I appreciate your thoughts on this matter as well.

Whoami> I am a doctoral student of sociology. I am working on a dissertation about uses of the Internet in Japan, I am particularly interested in the ways in which everyday people adopt and adapt to the Internet to maintain their personal communities.

Thank you in advance,

Mito Akiyoshi Department of Sociology The University of Chicago