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2006 | 53 | 9 | 409-421

Article title

Virtual togetherness, real success: the online communities

Title variants

Languages of publication

HU

Abstracts

EN
The development of information technology tools enables the communication between many users at the same time, thus encourages the formation of different online communities. Although the function of the communities is quite similar, the technology used can be differentiated: asynchronous (e-mail, bulletin board, UseNet, blog), and synchronous (chat, Instant Messaging, Wiki). Social networks have become very popular, for example one successful example in Hungary is iWiW. Not just the technology, but also the users have undergone a significant change. At the beginning, members belonged to the research sector with the same profession, while today a wide range of users with different professions can formulate a community along their interests, hobbies, etc. The use of the Internet influenced the patterns of social behavior: it enables to make new friends, and also nursing old relations. Every day new online communities are born, and some of them disappear. What are the factors of the success? This study examined the success factors of online communities in Hungary, more specifically communities tied together by a common health or physical issue. A survey developed by Abras was used to collect feedback from the users of BabaNet, an online childcare community in Hungary. The survey tests well-known usability heuristics, and validates less well-explored sociability heuristics from the participants' perspectives. The questionnaire was prepared for defining the success of online communities, and providing guidelines for designers on how to create successful online health communities. For the testing of usability and sociability a Likert scale was used. The candidates had to determine whether these questions are important. The majority of respondents found that easy navigation, accessibility, and rapidity are very important usability factors and the well arranged and consequent layout of the site is important too. Regarding the sociability factors they found important the purpose of the community, the interactive discussions, a set of useful information, the respect of rules and the sense of a community. They found neutral the active participation in the discussions, shallow discussions, or shallow relationships. They didn't think pictures and avatars were important. Consequently, the success of an online community from the participants' perspective proved to be the common interest, the behavior of the members and the usefulness.

Keywords

Contributors

  • Gabriella Szaloki, no address given, contact the journal editor

References

Document Type

Publication order reference

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier
10HUAAAA079327

YADDA identifier

bwmeta1.element.ea97a324-fde7-3f19-ade8-578dd8663451
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