3. What has really changed?
The new forms of human interaction, through the overcoming of the
limitations imposed by time and by space.
This turned into a series of implications in the everyday life of the
individuals, especially in what concerns the forms of communication.
4. In which principals are the communities based on?
Typaldos, C. (2000), RealCommunities.com
5. π
π
Exchange of
Values
Exchange π Exchange of
ππ
of Ideas Competences
π
π
ππ π ππ π
ππ π ππ
π
π
π π π
Exchange of Exchange of
Information Goods
ππ
Exchange of
Social Roles Pierre Levy, CRC, Université d’Ottawa
6. What’s the difference between the real and the virtual communities?
What distinguishes them?
Real Community Virtual Community
Types Multiple types Normally based on interest
Mechanisms Face-to-face communication Virtual communication- chat, e-mail,
Non presencial communication etc
Characteristics Geographical and time obstacles No geographical and time constraints
One-to-one or one-to-many Many-to-many communication is also
communication possible
Language, voice, gestures Based mainly on written text
communication richness
Members Vary depending on the community Normally finantially wealthier, with
more time to spend on the internet
Width Normally small May vary (small or big)
Time demanded Normally a long time Normally quick
for formation
Kotha & Wadhwa,1999
7. It is easy to think that off-line (real) and on-line
(virtual) communities are different, therefore it is
impossible to establish a comparison.
But, what supports this?
The geographical distance?
The absence of physical language?
The available media?
Does communicating in bits and bytes
have the same immediate effect of the
communication in presence?
8. How can anthropology contribute?
• Observing the repercussions and transformations that
ICT has in the virtual world as well as in the real world;
• Identifying the rites of passage of the net users, that allow
a permanent and generalized interchange of different sights
of the world;
• Researching the social interactions and organization
negotiated in such environment.
9. Questions
• Which alterations take place in the formation of friendships,
in the relations of proximity, while interacting on-line?
• Would the process of changing between real/virtual
communities implicate alterations in the final organization of
the group?
• The idea one has of the other and, consequently, the way
one is thought by the others, could lead to alterations in the
final structuring of the communities?
13. Sociometric questionnaire
Focused on four areas:
1 – Authority or Respect of the group
2 – Organizational Abilities
3 – Comfort in Public
4 – Recreational Activities
The questionnaire was answered before the interactions online
started (with the real names of the participants) and again after the 3
months interactions online (with the nicknames of the participants).
N.B.: The basic rule was that they shouldn’t reveal their real
name while interacting online.
14. [22:35]<EsPf> foi ás 11 da manhã!
[22:35] <jorga> cantao as nossas almas pra o menino eusebio uma salva de palmas
[22:35] <jorga> eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
[22:35] <neu_ro_tic> es mto piadetico
[22:35] <Down_Rodeo> essebio
[22:35] <Down_Rodeo> uma salva de palmas
[22:35] <_Spinner> boa
[22:35] <_Spinner> palmas para ele
[22:36] <neu_ro_tic> so faz 60
[22:36] <Down_Rodeo> eee eeeee eeehehehehehehehehehehe
[22:36] <_Spinner> xiiiiiii
[22:36] <Down_Rodeo> o
[22:37] <jorga> o?
[22:37] <neu_ro_tic> viva portugal que ja esta apurado directamente para o europeu
[22:37] <neu_ro_tic> 2004
[22:37] <jorga> VIVA
[22:37] <EsPf> ok! o eusébio já passou à história!
[22:37] <neu_ro_tic> tb acho
[22:37] <EsPf> assim tá bem!
[22:37] <neu_ro_tic> ok
[22:38] <neu_ro_tic> vova ao fcp
15. Authority or Respect of the Group
Group A
1st Moment 2nd Moment
(Real Community) (Virtual Community )
19. Results
Group A Group B
Variables depending on Variables depending on
Observed vs. Expected Correlation of Observed vs. Expected Correlation of
the response the response
Frequencies Categories Frequencies Categories
Positive (+) e Negative (-) Positive (+) e Negative (-)
R1+ V1+ Chi-Square = 6,250000 0,625 R1+ V1+ Chi-Square = 15,80000 0,2
df = 8 p < ,619251 df = 9 p < ,071182
R1 - V1 - Chi-Square = 6,833333 0,746 R1 - V1 - Chi-Square = 6,000000 0,6848
df = 8 p < ,554718 df = 9 p < ,739917
R2+ V2 + Chi-Square = 10,25000 0,071 R2+ V2 + Chi-Square = 20,83333 0,5758
df = 8 p < ,247920 df = 9 p < ,013413
R2 - V2 - Chi-Square = 4,533333 0,579 R2 - V2 - Chi-Square = 16,50000 0,5152
df = 8 p < ,806088 df = 9 p < ,057151
R3+ V3+ Chi-Square = 18,75000 0,625 R3+ V3+ Chi-Square = 10,57143 0,2697
df = 8 p < ,016258 df = 9 p < ,306236
R3 - V3 - Chi-Square = 5,583333 0,358 R3 - V3 - Chi-Square = 5,300000 0,33
df = 8 p < ,693791 df = 9 p < ,807410
R4+ V4+ Chi-Square = 17,30000 0,217 R4+ V4+ Chi-Square = 16,33333 0,2667
df = 8 p < ,027135 df = 9 p < ,060243
R4 - V4 - Chi-Square = 10,83333 0,579 R4 - V4 - Chi-Square = 11,78333 -0,18
df = 8 p < ,211328 df = 9 p < ,225807
20. Discussion and conclusion
Just a few alterations took place in the organization
and structure of the group – but overall the
changes were not significant.
Group A presented changes in the variable 3 –
Comfort in Public (positive choice) – and in the
variable 4 – Recreational Activities (positive
choice);
Group B, only in the variable 2 – Organizational
Abilities (positive choice), presented a difference.
21. An atempt to explain
The comfort in using technology– for example,
the fact of a few of the students were more
regular visitors of the chatrooms than others;
Being hidden behind a mask – nicknames-
students could feel more uninhibited;
The ability to write using a keyboard, dominating
the language and especially the fact of not being
in presence of a physical body – first factor of the
formation of impression in real context.
The objective of each individual is to be accepted
by other(s), therefore everything said or done in
this context will have repercussions not only in
this context, but also in real context,– all the
individuals knew each other in the real world.
