A World of Paradox: An Interpretive Study in Virtual Community
Date Issued
2009
Date
2009
Author(s)
Lin, Chien-nai
Abstract
Past studies mostly suggest that virtual community be the platform especially applicable for private exchange and for people to build up their ideal images because people express themselves through hiding their real images and identities behind computers. However, few studies mentioned that the anonymously private opinions at cyberspace are easily cited and forwarded as public ones because of the powerful search engines and hyperlink connections of internet; the elaborate internet images may also easily collapse because of the cross reference at cyberspace. his study considers that the virtual community can be both public and private channel at the same time, its superior situation for individuals to dominate personal images is marginalized as time pass by, and the personal virtual identity and real identity is not only continuous but complimentary. The study is conducted as an interpretive research and takes the views of dramaturgical theory to unobtrusively observe a virtual community. The field data is collected in the light of virtual ethnography and analyzed upon hermeneutic circle.ith the arguments in this study, the author expects to provide an alternative perspective for academic research in virtual community, and the administrative team of every virtual community will recognize the said characteristics in online interaction and elaborate appropriate online environment for their members.
Subjects
virtual community
interpretive research
dramaturgical theory
internet privacy
virtual image
virtual identity
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