Diffusion of Innovations: A Longitudinal Study of aVirtual Community

摘要

The exponential growth and global access of thernInternet may have signaled a basic change in humanrnsociology. Increasingly, people are choosing to relate torneach other through computer-mediated channels byrnforming virtual communities. As these virtualrncommunities become more pervasive, it is important thatrnwe gain an understanding of the nature of these socialrnsystems. This study will analyze the content ofrnwarehoused electronic communications to study theserncommunities. The preliminary analysis examines thernviability of the community and the diffusion ofrninnovations. The ongoing inquiry will use computerizedrncontent analysis to gain deeper insight into communityrndynamics, leadership and communication character.