Even though I go on vacation, my blog does not
I’m pleased to introduce today’s guest blogger Lisa Endersby from the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Ontario, Canada. Her post today goes into what online communities look like today and what, if any, are their standards? Thanks for reading and commenting!
Beyond using social media (or ‘SoMe’ as I’ve come to call it after seeing it written in a “S-A-Chat”) as a means of sharing resources and ideas, the Internet has become a place where the ‘SoMe’ can become part of the larger ‘So Us’. The use (and abuse) of social media in education has led to many discussions around how this ‘us’ functions – what is an online community and what are the standards that govern how people interact within it?
The very notion of community has evolved with the introduction of the Internet. People who may never meet in person now have the opportunity to connect, share and learn from each other in this ‘virtual space’. While common phrasing would call these people ‘community members’, the very notion of membership is now challenged by the use of social media. Is ‘membership’ now open to all simply by virtue of their participation in the group? Can a person be ‘outside’ the community even if they participate in discussions or, at the very least, read through information presented or posted? The term membership also assumes a set of rules or standards that govern whether one may obtain and keep their place in the community. The use of social media and online spaces presents a challenge to creating and maintaining these social regulations. If they are not explicitly written down, how are these norms created and communicated? From my own experiences with online communities, the rules for interaction are often only brought to light once someone has done (or more often said) something the community deems to be wrong or inappropriate. In this case, a system of rewards and punishments emerges, with the reward being continued acceptance and involvement in the community while the punishment is the virtual equivalent of no longer getting to sit at the cafeteria table with your (former) best friends. Given the stories we’ve all heard about how this system for enforcing community standards (whether formal or not) can be abused, perhaps an important question is where these rules come from, and how holds the power to enforce them.
Dictionary definitions of community often use the term “common ownership” as a distinguishing feature of this group of people beyond their common place or purpose. The notion of ‘ownership’ implies that, within this community, its members share not only a particular vision or goal, but also a shared ownership of both what they discuss and how those discussions play out. This shared ownership further implies a sense of responsibility and a personal stake in the community, what it says, and what its members do.
The use of social media in creating and maintaining these online communities confronts us with challenges to communication not often seen in face to face interactions. The relative anonymity of the Internet can confuse or misconstrue a message as key components including body language and tone of voice are often missing in the written form. More importantly, while many of us are transparent and authentic with our online identities, our students may still use their online identity as a means to try out new roles and ideas they may not be comfortable expressing ‘in person’. What does this (real or imagined) sense of privacy mean for our online interactions and our community standards?
To keep a community together, the glue is often a mixture of passion, persistence and (balance of) power. As standards or guidelines for interaction seem to emerge through conflict, does the community’s shared ownership extend not just to its content but its rules as well? Is there a single person or smaller group that holds this power, or are standards enforced by the collective or shared ownership of power? In a virtual community, this power must be asserted differently than in person – roles and behaviours take on new meaning when some of the more obvious communication cues are missing.
In perhaps offering more questions than answers, my initial exploration of the online community uncovers new ways of thinking about, creating and holding power as a means of supporting positive and engaging dialogue. Using the language of community ‘standards’ and ‘membership’ assumes rules and regulations that govern the maintenance of a status quo – where that comes from, however, remains as complex as the technology itself.
What does ‘community’ look like online vs. IRL? Is there a diff?
Lisa Endersby is a student affairs nerd currently teaching and learning with students at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) in Ontario, Canada. As the Student Experience Advisor, Lisa has become a student affairs generalist, leading the development of her department’s assessment plan and student leadership development programming while jumping into the career services and community outreach deep end with both feet.
Before landing at UOIT, Lisa worked in a number of first year transition and leadership development roles at the University of Toronto ( U of T) and the University of Victoria, in addition to supporting multiple student success projects at U of T and Sheridan College. When not in the office, Lisa volunteers with Destination Imagination, Meal Exchange, and the University of Toronto Scarborough Alumni Association.As an (over)committed extrovert, Lisa continues to advocate for awesome in all its forms. You can learn more about Lisa and her current projects at www.lisaendersby.ca and join in the conversation at https://twitter.com/lmendersby
