None of This is Real: Identity and Participation in Friendster
Author(s)
Boyd, Donah
Abstract
Our thinking about digital communities is still arguably in the shadow of the “global village,” the powerful metaphor that describes how new communication technologies empower personal relationships across vast geographic and cultural differences. Recent research, however, suggest a different social emphasis: Rather than initiating relations with strangers, instant messaging, email, and other digital communication tools are used primarily to maintain relationships with people in close physical and social proximity. Drawing on ethnographic data an personal observation, the author analyzes the growth of Friendster and the negotiation of social boundaries among early adopter populations.
