For a social network analysis of computer networks: A sociological perspective on collaborative work and virtual community

For a social network analysis of computer networks: A sociological perspective on collaborative work and virtual community (1996)

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by Barry Wellman

Venue:	Work and Virtual Community, Proc. of the 1996 conference on ACM SIGCPR/SIGMIS Conference
Citations:	23 - 0 self

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Datum	Value	Source
TITLE	For a social network analysis of computer networks: A sociological perspective on collaborative work and virtual community	INFERENCE
AUTHOR NAME	Barry Wellman	SVM HeaderParse 0.2
AUTHOR ADDR	Centre for Urban and Community Studies, Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; wellman @epas.utoronto.ca	SVM HeaderParse 0.2
ABSTRACT	When computer networks link people as well as machines, they become social networks. Social network analysis provides a useful approach to moving beyond the concept of “group ” in studying virtual communities and computer supported cooperative work and telework. Such computer supported social networks (CSSNS) sustain strong, inter-mediate and weak ties that provide information and social support in both specialized and broadly-based relation-ships. They foster informal workplace communities that are usually partial and narrowly-focused, although some do become encompassing and broadly-based. CSSNS connect workers within and between organizations who often are physically dispersed. The nature of the medium both constrains and facilitates management control. Although many relationships function offline as well as online, CSSNS have developed their own norms and structures. They have strong societal implications, foster-ing situations that combine global connectivity, the fragmentation of solidarities and the de-emphasis of local organization, and the importance of home bases. KEYWORDS computer supported cooperative work, informal relation-ships, telework, electronic mail, social networks COMPUTER SUPPORTED SOCIAL NETWORKS When a computer network connects people, it is a social network. Just as a computer network is a set of machines connected by a set of cables, a social network is a set of people (or organizations or other social entities) connected by a set of socially-meaningful relationships. Why do computer scientists talk about “groupware ” when a computer network supports all forms of social networks and not only groups? A group is only a special form of social network, one which is densely-knit (most nodes are directly connected with each other) and tightly-bounded (most links stay within the network rather than connecting Permission to make digitrd/trard copies of all or part of this material for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or diwibmed for profit or commercial advantage, the copyright notice, the title of the publication and its date appear, and notice is	SVM HeaderParse 0.2
YEAR	1996	INFERENCE
VENUE	Work and Virtual Community, Proc. of the 1996 conference on ACM SIGCPR/SIGMIS Conference	INFERENCE
VENUE TYPE	CONFERENCE	INFERENCE
PAGES	1--11	INFERENCE
CITATIONS	63 found	ParsCit 1.0