6533b7cffe1ef96bd12586bc

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Metacommunication Patterns in Online Communities

Arto LanamäkiTero Päivärinta

subject

World Wide WebComputer scienceAd hoc communicationVDP::Social science: 200::Library and information science: 320::Information and communication systems: 321Computer-mediated communicationCommunity developmentOnline communityonline community metacommunication genre computer-mediated communication

description

Published version of a chapter in the book: Online Communities and Social Computing. Also available from the publisher at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02774-1_26 This paper discusses about contemporary literature on computer-mediated metacommunication and observes the phenomenon in two online communities. The results contribute by identifying six general-level patterns of how metacommunication refers to primary communication in online communities. A task-oriented, user-administrated, community (Wikipedia in Finnish) involved a remarkable number of specialized metacommunication genres. In a centrally moderated discussion-oriented community (Patientslikeme), metacommunication was intertwined more with primary ad hoc communication. We suggest that a focus on specialized metacommunication genres may appear useful in online communities. However, room for ad hoc (meta)communication is needed as well, as it provides a basis for user-initiated community development.

yearjournalcountryeditionlanguage
2009-01-01
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02774-1_26