Innovation pathways in Cyberspace - how information spreads through the communities of Second Life
I’m so sickeningly far behind in so many things. I lost a couple of months late last year when I went to work in San Francisco, and I’m still catching up. But here’s the synopsis which I’ve finally written for an upcoming seminar I’m giving at the University of Portsmouth in May at the ExPERT Centre - and many apologies to those people I’ve delayed with my radio silence!
Title
Innovation pathways in Cyberspace - how information spreads through the communities of Second Life
Synopsis
What contributes to the diffusion of innovations across the internet? As stakeholders begin to come to grips with the social new media like blogs, social networks and virtual worlds, they have a key interest in understanding the social influence and connection properties which make or break a message. This seminar will explore one online community - Second Life - addressing issues like the nature of online community, the importance of trust between anonymous/pseudonymous parties and the speed with which a new facet of information spreads around the technological space.
Drawing upon my own research using Social Network Analysis, I will describe the diffusion of the virtual world’s voice service, taking into consideration the social, psychological and network factors which contribute to a successful launch. I’ll discuss the factors to consider when undertaking research in an online community and will recommend best practices for researchers and practitioners when engaging with virtual social spaces.
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