Hello All,
I have finished my research for the summer and wanted to thank you all for your participaction. My advisor did not approve the release of my entire report, but I am allowed to share my statistical analysis and conclusion. Thanks again,
StannyUG
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[font=Times New Roman]Statistical Analysis- [/font]
[font=Times New Roman] Question and response (percentages are within 1% accuracy):[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]1) How long have you been using online forums?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]0-1 years- 5% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]1-2 years- 9% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]2-4 years- 25% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]4-6 years- 26% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]6+ years- 34% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]2) Describe your first experience participating in a forum.[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Difficult- 1% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Confusing- 2% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Took some time to figure out- 17% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Manageable- 24% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]After two posts I was coasting- 25% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Intuitive and Easy- 28% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]3) Is the forum community the first place you go for advice (when relevant to the specific community)?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Never- 2% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Once or twice- 1% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Rarely- 6% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Sometimes- 22% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Often- 48% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Always- 17% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]4) How credible do you find fellow members?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Not at all; I read for the banter- 1% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Very little credibility- 3% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I double check their recommendations- 13% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Somewhat credible- 3e2% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I trust most people who reply to my posts- 47% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I trust all people who reply to my posts- 1% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]5) What factors add to a person’s credibility on the site?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Time on the network- 16% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Member status- 18% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Number of posts- 15% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Interaction with you- 28% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Information in profile- 9% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Other- 11% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]6) Please rate (1-6) the ease with which you are able to find specific information in the forums.[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]1- 2% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]2- 3% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]3- 9% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]4- 23% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]5- 40% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]6- 21% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]7) How personally do you like to get to know other members?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I like the anonymity-6% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I only want information that is relevant to the forum- 8% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman] I care to know their bare essentials- 7% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Some additional information is helpful- 38% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I like to know them pretty well- 30% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]It’s helpful to know as much as possible- 10% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]8) Do you spend most of your time in one section or do you bounce between sections regularly when you visit this site?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]Only look at one section- 3% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I browse 2-4 sections, but focus on one at a time- 39% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I browse more than four sections, but focus on one at a time- 12% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I switch between 1 and 3 sections regularly- 17% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I switch between 4 and 5 sections regularly- 13% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]I switch between 6+ sections regularly- 13% of respondents[/font]
[font=Times New Roman]9) How many hours per week do you spend in online communities?[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]1-2 hours per week- 4% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]2-5 hours per week- 20% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]6-10 hours per week- 33% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]11-15 hours per week- 16% of respondents[/font]
[font=Symbol]· [/font][font=Times New Roman]16+ hours per week- 24% % of respondents[/font]
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[font=Times New Roman]Conclusion[/font]
[font=Times New Roman] Online communities based in forum software incorporate social norms and interactions to a much greater extent than previously thought. Some sites carry north of 200,000 users and their interactions have shown to be as complex as those in the physical world. For example, the most influential factor in deciding one’s credibility within a forum community is the amount of interaction with other users. Additionally, the average survey respondent will spend more time within the social areas of a forum site than the more information based areas. Seventy-five percent of respondents spend more than six hours a week in online forums, with 32% of those spending more than 16 hours per week in these forums. Furthermore, 66% of respondents will often, if not always, ask for advice in these forums. Finally, a resounding 47% of respondents were found to trust most people they meet on the site. It is clear that these communities incorporate other ways of instilling social value by the use of distinctions and a user hierarchy. There are enforcement mechanisms such as moderators and community ostracizing. Some respondents said they were more trusting of forums users over their “real life friends” because of their shared passions and perceived commitment to the community. Lastly, these social interactions will sometimes extend into the physical world when members meet other members to share experiences. Therefore, it is apparent that online community development has a foundation in existing social norms and that their longevity can in some ways be attributed to the passions of the users and their use of the sites in more than a purely information sharing manner.[/font]