This blog post is based on an online ethnographic study of an web community where members create an avatar (virtual-self). They can have a house, own a car and those objects are given in the default settings. Moreover, they are expected to develop better (richer) visual appearance. My first observation is that the online community’s name…
Believing in something in religious terms has changed during the last century and can now be seen as something special instead of being a normal part of life. This is at least the case for our north european hemisphere, but if we widen our perspective it becomes clear that religion, as a motive and belief…
“Every time you say ‘no thanks’ to food, you say ‘yes please’ to thin.” This is a saying that appears on various eating disorders (E.D.s) sites. An ‘anorexic lifestyle’ has gained certain popularity among many young women particularly in the Western world. Various E.D.s sites are created primarily by young women who have anorexia or bulimia, or…
You may be interested to know what my task is for this week. Actually it is about digging deep into an online community which I am not familiar with before and doing ethnographical investigation. Following my own interest, I chose one of the many forums about GID and did observations. What is GID? GID stands…
“A safe and accepting space for members to gather, create, share and inspire others… Welcome home, Little Monsters. Remember to be brave, be tolerant, and be original.” (LittleMonsters.com community description) In March 2012, pop idol and worldwide sensation, Lady Gaga and her team, Haus of Gaga, launched the first celebrity-centered online community under the name…
Understanding Social Media 