“In the era of the ‘attention economy’, readers and users of Internet information must be carefully craft, in their own minds, the kind of metadata which will – almost instinctively – ‘fit’ with the metadata of the information sources they want, so that – in the few brief moments of initial exchange, when a seeker of information encounters information being sought, rapid, effective judgments are made that ‘pay off’ in terms of further reading, accessing and saving… In other words, there is a critical moment when an exchange takes place of metadata from the web (whether ‘explicit’ - as in the title, or even within the website’s own HTML, rendered via a search engine’s relevance ranking, or ‘implicit’ – the intuitive look and feel of a source) and the metadata of the reader’s purpose and goals. If there is a ‘match’ then the information is likely to be accessed more fully.” (Allen, n.d.)
“… the economy of attention - not information - is the natural economy of cyberspace.” (Goldhaber, 1997)
There is an old cliché, ‘time is money’ and this is reinforced by the latest craze in cyberspace currency – attention. Online services and information are in constant competition to access more of this valuable resource. It’s no different to a shop keeper creating an eye-catching window display to attract potential customers. Whether it’s sharing information or gaining a potential sale, there is a small window of opportunity to snare someone’s attention. The online marketplace has responded to this need and created services and tools that assist companies in the battle to gain attention from time poor consumers. Services like newsfeeds, alerts and recommendations are a part of the implicit web which “is all about the value that will accrue to an Internet user when their every action is tracked, recorded, and used to provide value back to that user.” (Wilson, 2006) This technology is already in use on sites such as Last.Fm and Amazon.com (Iskold, 2007) and is rapidly being replicated across the web. It doesn’t replace the explicit interactions of searching and bookmarking, that exist when the end user knows what they are digging for, but instead complements this action and takes it to a completely different level. You may go online to download a favorite song, yet when you log off you have discovered knowledge of three great bands and knowledge of a great club downtown that has been there for years but you never knew existed. Whether it is Last.Fm, Amazon.com or iTunes, our preferences are being monitored “every time we … click, it uses its sophisticated algorithms to suggest to us what we should buy next…” (Iskold, 2007) .
Is this type of recommendation selling a smarter way to use our time or an invasion of our privacy? Do we want our personal preferences for books, movies, music and even groceries stored in various places across the world wide web? “…people are starting to get used to profiling themselves and using it to add value to their Internet experience. They are starting to trust certain web services and let them profile them. That change in user behavior is a big deal” (Wilson, 2006). These profiles are offering us exposure to new information but who owns this personal data? Does the data belong to the consumer who has created it – whether deliberately or inadvertently? Does the information belong to the site or a different entity altogether? Seth Goldstein was one of the first see the value for control of the stored information from this new revolution. He is one of the talents behind an online company that offers software to give users control of the data that results from their online attention – “AttentionTrust is a not-for-profit organization that puts the user in control of their Attention data. … What we do online increasingly represents who we are. How we browse… What we say… What we read… = ME” (Attention Trust, n.d.)
Is control of our the attention created data the next step in the attention economy and implicit web revolution? For a consumer to be able to transfer their profile or specific information from one site to another has value in our ‘instant gratification’ society. “Given that consumers are pressed for time, the algorithms that discern their intent correctly are likely to win” (Iskold, 2007). If the process becomes too hard or time consuming then the attention is lost and the user clicks away, moving onto the next site that offers something similar with less input required. If a user is able to register their profile with one site and then retrieve it, or specific parts of if, when they visit related sites, this has value. An example would be registering at Last.fm and retrieving your musical preferences when visiting iTunes or Amazon.com. This adds to the user’s personal ‘attention footprint’ and gives the creators of the site valuable information, not necessarily just in the form of sales.
Site 1:
Title: The Attention Economy
Horning, R., (2006). Pop Matters: Marginal Utility. Retrieved 26 April 2008 from
http://www.popmatters.com/columns/horning/060413.shtml
“Forget money; recognition is the new motive force. We're happy to be paid in attention, social recognition.” (Horning, 2006)
The column, Marginal Utility is written by Rob Horning and published on the site Pop Matters. He dedicated his 13 April 2006 column to the matter of The Attention Economy. This column was researched and written when blogging and sites such as MySpace.com were relatively new to the cyber marketplace. The article is a combination of opinion and quoted references from leaders in the monitoring and capturing of information as a part of this revolution. This article provides useful comparisons to how popular culture is captured and established and how the Attention Economy is simply the next step in that process.
Site 2:
Title: The Implicit Web: Last.fm, Amazon, Google, Attention Trust
Iskold, A., (2007). Read, Write, Web. Retrieved 6 May 2008 from
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_implicit_web_lastfm_amazon_google.php
“As we rush through life and a myriad of web pages, we leave traces. We don't have time to think deeply about any of this. The blogs that we visit, the music we listen to, the movies we watch; we take all of them for granted. Yet, all of the different kinds of information that we interact with defines us. In turn, we change the world by issuing a verdict of what we like and what we do not like. Sometimes explicitly via bookmarking, rating and digging. But most often, implicitly.” (Iskold, 2007)
This article is written by Alex Iskold and published on the site Read, Write, Web. The author has written a number of published articles about The Attention Economy and Implicit Web. This article is a combination of opinion, research and quoted references . Iskold captures the essence of the Implicit Web and how it works, often without the end-user even being aware of it. He creates an awareness of the processes involved and forecasts the next possible steps as the tracking and control of our attention data become integrated into the way in which we browse the web.
Active communication generates identity awareness (concept #20)
"One can only generate awareness of one's membership of an email list by posting messages; others' awareness of your identity will enable them to include you in their discussions and enable you to play your part in the community that is the list. The common term for people who belong to lists (or other internet communities of discussion) and who do not actively participate is 'lurkers'. Lurkers, obviously, are real people who exist in many ways. Yet, within the context of a particular list, if they are not posting, then they appear invisible and, indeed, can lack identity completely. " (Allen, n.d.)
The last decade has seen incredible growth of online communities in forums, discussion boards and email groups. These communities have enabled us to tap into a wealth of knowledge that is stored amongst ourselves, that previously would have only been available through face-to-face interaction. "Online communities are becoming an accepted part of the lives of Internet users, although participation in these communities is dependent on the types of people that form them" (Bishop, 2006). While you would certainly be able to gauge the inactive participants if you were in a group in person, and therefore prompt participation, this is almost impossible in the online environment. Users are able to hide themselves either through available technology (eg the option to appear invisible or offline available in many chat applications and online forums) or by actively not participating. These inactive participants are known as lurkers, and often the cause of an outcry from moderators who are concerned that the view of their group is not meeting its potential because not every voice is being heard. "In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the action." (Nielsen, 2006).
Is it possible that lurkers are able to add value without active participation in an online community or are they inadvertently causing skewed content to be created? Understanding the reasons why certain participants choose to active within these communities will assist somewhat in the awareness of why other users decide to 'lurk' inactively in the background of certain forums. An online survey was conducted by three North American University students who related the findings in a paper released in 2004, which outlined the most common reasons why people opt to 'lurk' rather than to actively participate. The data revealed that the top five reasons "why previous lurkers lurk were concerned with: not needing to post; needing to find out more about the group before participating; thinking that they were being helpful by not posting; not being able to make the software work (i.e., poor usability); and not liking the group dynamics or the community was a poor fit for them" (Preece, J; Nonnecke, B & Andrews, D, 2004).
Can understanding the reasons why community members opt to be inactive allow moderators and developers to overcome the participation inequality that is occurring? Issues such as poor usability of software can be addressed through development of a better user interface and making forums easier to navigate. Better marketing upfront and more information on the structure and purpose of the forum will assist some potential lurkers when they are in the decision-making process and in assessing whether or not this is an appropriate or useful community for them. In time, some lurkers will graduate to becoming posters as they adjust to the community or a situation occurs where they need to access or can provide information not already available. Offering participation methods that require little to no effort, such as voting to rate a product, service or even other posts, helps to bridge the gap between active posters who may intimidate members who feel that they don't have a lot to say or that it won't add any value to the discussion. Each post, however small, helps to decrease participation inequality and increase the depth and diversity of the information available to other members of the community.
Due to the diversity of reasons for participants to choose to be inactive, there are no absolute solutions available to that will assist in changing the perception on the other dynamics that cause potential posters to become lurkers. Nor has it been proven or accepted that equal participation offers any greater value to the community. "The first step to dealing with participation inequality is to recognize that it will always be with us. It's existed in every online community and multi-user service that has ever been studied" (Nielsen, 2006).
Site 1:
Title: Participation Inequality: Encouraging More Users to Contribute
Neilsen, J., (9 October 2006). Useit.com: Alertbox Retrieved 7 May 2008 from http://www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html
"All large-scale, multi-user communities and online social networks that rely on users to contribute content or build services share one property: most users don't participate very much. Often, they simply lurk in the background." (Nielsen, 2006)
Jakob Nielsen writes a column, Alertbox, that covers the issues surrounding Web usability and is published on his website, Useit.com. The article on Participation Inequality and suggestions to encourage less lurking was published in 2006. This article provides useful references and statistics on the issue of participation inequality as encountered by online communities. Practical suggestions are offered to increase participation along with the awareness that even a significant increase will never offer full participation by members. Nielsen also touches on the issue that participation inequality is not necessarily unfair and is a personal preference based on a diverse range of changing variables.
Site 2:
Title: The top five reasons for lurking: improving community experiences for everyone.
Preece, J; Nonnecke, B & Andrews, D., (2004). Science Direct | Computers in Human Behavior, Volume 20, Issue 2, March 2004. Retrieved 6 May 2008 from
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VDC-4BRKMR8-7&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2004&_alid=736792063&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_cdi=5979&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=1&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=91b84dd67d9f84057295e81f843c1e21
"Even in busy online communities usually only a small fraction of members post messages. Why do so many people prefer not to contribute publicly?" (Preece, J; Nonnecke, B & Andrews, D, Available online February 19, 2004)
A paper written by three North American University students, Jenny Preece, Blair Nonnecke and Dorine Andrews, related their findings from an online survey conducted to assess reasons why some participants are active within the online community and others choose inactivity, known as lurking. This paper provides statistical information and insight into why people feel comfortable not actively participation within the online communities that they have sought membership from. The paper details the most common reasons, outlining the discussions for developers and others to utilize the findings to create strategies that will assist them to increase participation within their community.
Communication is not complete upon receipt (concept #13)
"The key to effective email management is to consistently and conscientiously respond to and act upon the email you receive, while recognising that others may not be as efficient as yourself. A major disadvantage of email and similar asynchronous communications systems is that, often or sometimes, human users assume that when a message has been received, then it is automatically going to be acted upon or read or similar processed by the human(s) to which it was sent. While computers are very good at automatically processing information, humans are not. Equally, a website is not complete when it is created and presented: it has to be used. Websites are, basically, a very indirect form of communication and so, if we wish to use the web effectively, we can apply the same lesson: simply visiting a website is not sufficient…doing something with it is what closes the circuit of communication." (Allen, n.d.)
In our current technologically aware society email is a common form of communication for people, in their business and personal lives. It offers the security of the written word, the speed of immediate delivery and the ability to include additional information in the form of attachments and links. Websites offer the same instant gratification for messages that we want to deliver. However, once the email has been sent or the website has been posted, we no longer have control over the communication process and aren't able to guarantee that the intended recipient has read the message or is acting upon it. The creator of the communication process needs to do what they can to ensure that the email will be read and dealt with in the required time frame. With the growing issues with spam and the sheer volume of email correspondence that some users receive on a daily basis, you need to ensure that your communication is going to stand out amongst the masses.
Should this disadvantage be acceptable or are there tricks of the email trade that can be utilised to maximize the usability of your emails? Email etiquette is an important part of the process. Messages that are succinct, well written and labeled appropriately have a greater chance of receiving a response in the appropriate time frame and therefore completing the communication process. "Use the subject line to inform the receiver of EXACTLY what the email is about in a few well-chosen words." (Mind Tools, n.d.) Subject lines should be treated as a headline - summarize the purpose of the email in a handful of words that will catch the reader's attention. If a response is required urgently then the timeframe for this can be communicated via the subject line making the recipient immediately aware of what action is required from them.
Keep the correspondence to the point. If the message becomes too long or covers too much, this creates a higher chance of the recipient not following through with an action. "…if you need to communicate with someone about several matters, write a separate email on each subject" (Mind Tools, n.d.). It is reasonable to assume that some emails will spawn new topics and the sender should avoid just hitting 'reply' and typing a response. If starting a new email message isn't appropriate due to a need to refer to information in a received message, change the subject the line to make the new topic apparent. "…some email conversations will naturally spawn tangential conversations. In those cases, it's helpful to change the subject line of your email message to better describe the new topic" (Asaravala, 2007). No one likes to be ignored and it may seem obvious, but to receive email responses in a reasonable time frame it helps to create a reputation as someone who will provide just that. It's one thing to create email messages that will entice a response but if you are known as someone who doesn't respond quickly, or at all, it can create a negative impact on your inbox.
Similar reasoning applies to a website. Create a clear message that is easy to find and provide a simple manner for the response to be communicated. If a user needs to hunt a way to communicate their response they often won't bother and the process will fail. Simply communicating the message isn't enough as the message has no impact if you can't determine if people are reading it and auctioning what is required.
Site 1:
Title: Effective Email - How to communicate powerfully by email
Mind Tools (n.d.) MindTools.com, Retrieved 7 May 2008 from
http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htm
"There are a few simple rules to ensure that your emails are read in the first place and stay useful to the recipient." (Mind Tools, n.d.)
Mind Tools is a website that offers skill-building articles to assist with "management, leadership and career training" (Mind Tools, n.d.). As a part of the Communication Skills section of this website, they published an article on effectively communicating via email. The date of publication of this article is not known, but the information appears to be recent based on email communication issues currently experienced by users. This article provides useful common-sense tips to create effective email communication with your recipient, thus closing the communication process. Links are also provided to other articles on the Mind Tools website that offer information to assist users to improve their writing skills.
Site 2:
Title: Email Etiquette requires your reply
Judith Kallos (3 August 2007) Business Email Etiquette, Retrieved 9 May 2008 from
http://www.businessemailetiquette.com/?p=194
"The proper etiquette is to have the courtesy to reply as soon as possible." (Kallos, 2007)
Business Email Etiquette is a blog written by Judith Kallos that is dedicated to the correct email etiquette for business users. On 3 August 2007 she posted a blog entry in response to a site visitor question on the appropriate email etiquette for replying to emails. Email etiquette dictates that all correspondence should be responded to as quickly as possible. If a reply will be delayed, then the recipient should inform the sender of this to ensure that the communication process remains open and does not get lost in cyberspace. Other useful blog entries provide advice on etiquette for formatting emails.
Netiquette (concept #7)
"Good communication practice on the Internet is not something one 'learns', but something one 'practices' so as to teach others, less familiar than yourself, how it is done. Understanding why and now netiquette operates is more than just learning those rules (for, indeed, there are numerous differences and disagreements about the 'rules'). Rather, one must gain from a reading of 'netiquette' a sense that users must themselves contribute to the proper functioning of the Internet as a communication system: that no-one is in 'charge' of the net and we all must exercise an ethic of maintenance, taking responsibility for doing it 'right'. Moreover, what defines 'right' most of all is : 'how would I feel if this action I am about to take was done to me, instead of by me?' and, as a test of whether you are implementing 'right' properly, ask yourself "if I assume the recipient of my messages is less experienced than me, will they learn something 'good' or 'bad' from what I am doing?'" (Allen, n.d.)
Netiquette is accepted terminology in our society for the way in which people behave when communicating via the internet. This term covers the broad spectrum of all internet communication whether it be via email, chat rooms, forums or instant messenger. There are general rules, variable depending upon which site they are posted on and whether or not they relate specifically to a certain community, but netiquette is simply a matter of treating online users with the same courtesy, manners and consideration that you would give to members of an off line community. "Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life" (Shea, n.d.) If you attend a seminar, you would not shout out to one of the speakers with a derogatory remark because of something they said or a mispronounced word during their talk. If you were sitting in a room with all the other members of the community, you would be aware of them and that they were witnessing your behavior. You would save your comments for an appropriate forum rather than inappropriately drawing attention to yourself in a rude or acceptable manner. Online behavior should reflect the same rules you would apply in this situation. "Communicating clearly on the Internet without creating misunderstandings is a challenge. One problem is that you haven't any facial expressions, body language, or environment to help you express yourself; another that there is little "give and take" for developing what you mean to say or are discussing." (Study Guides and Strategies, n.d.)
A key strategy to demonstrating netiquette is to remember that you are dealing with people. Those usernames that you are communicating with are have human users at the other end. Treat each new online group that you join in the same manner as you would if it were a club that you would attend in person. "Get to know your online community... just as you would a face-to-face group. Ensure that your postings are clear and relevant to the purpose of the group." (Electronic Classroom: Netiquette, n.d.) Netiquette does not need to be interpreted as a complicated list of rules to be remembered or strictly followed. Each individual you encounter during your online communications will require a slightly different response, just as your associations off line do. A number of companies do have rules for their employees to follow as a part of their business transactions, however most of these guidelines can and should follow over into your personal online endeavors.
Think of each encounter online as though you were conducting a training session. Every time you post something, it could be the first online communication encounter for one of the readers. Not only does this form a first impression of you, but it also delivers a message of how to behave within that forum. Read everything twice before posting and think how you would interpret that if you were the intended recipient. Is this something that you would view as constructive, positive or informative? . Are you behaving in a manner that you would be happy with other people seeing - your partner, your mother or your boss? Moderators and administrators need to adhere to slightly different rules, just as a manager in an organization would. "Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them." (Shea, n.d.)
The basis of Netiquette can be summed up as that which is appropriate off line is appropriate on line. If you wouldn't behave in that manner face-to-face, then it isn't acceptable to behave that way during your online communications either. No one can be completely anonymous online - your username, email account, even your IP address - can give away who and where you are.
Site 1:
Title: The Core Rules of Netiquette
Virginia Shea (n.d.) NET Etiquette Retrieved 7 May 2008 from
http://www.albion.com/netiquette/introduction.html
"partly as a result of forgetting that people online are still real, and partly because they don't know the conventions, well-meaning cybernauts, especially new ones, make all kinds of mistakes." (Shea, n.d.)
The Core Rules of Netiquette is an excerpt from a book by Virginia Shea which has been published on the Albion.com site to offer guidance to new users of internet based communication. This includes a list of ten core rules as well as an in-depth look at each one to make it easy for new user to comprehend the complexity of cyberspace vs. real life. Some internet based terminology is explained here as well as differentiating business and social internet based interactions. An outline of legal and philosophical netiquette is included to help with the understanding of copyright and privacy issues online.
Site 2:
Title: Electronic Classroom: Netiquette
NSW Department of Education and Training (n.d.) Retrieved 7 May 2008 from
https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/strat_direction/strat_init/isp/usersafety/netiquette.htm
"Interacting and communicating online is very different to face-to-face interactions or telephone conversations where facial expression or voice intonation can enhance the effectiveness of communication. As a result, there are guidelines for online communication called 'netiquette'. " (Electronic Classroom: Netiquette, n.d.)
The Electronic Classroom is a site put together by NSW Department of Education and Training to assist new students and employees of their organization to understand what is appropriate and acceptable behavior for any online interactions be a part of. This site has a list of guidelines to assist with learning how to behave within online communities. Online communication, sending emails and general email communication. The information listed here covers basic common-sense principles in communication. Email communication should be undertaken in a similar manner to letter writing and, generally speaking, online communication should cover the same principles as face-to-face communication.
Bibliography
Allen, D. M. (n.d.). NET 11 The Internet: Communications (SP1 and SP3). Retrieved May 02, 2008, from Curtin University: http://webct.curtin.edu.au/SCRIPT/305033_a/scripts/serve_home
Asaravala, A. (2007, November 20). 9 Email Do's and Don'ts for the Sender. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from Network for Good Learning Center: http://www.fundraising123.org/article/9-email-dos-and-donts-sender
Attention Trust. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2008, from Attention Trust: http://www.attentiontrust.org/
Bishop, J. (Available online 19 January 2006, Volume 23, Issue 4, July 2007;). Computers in Human Behaviour: Increasing participation in online communities: A framework for human-computer interaction. Retrieved via the Curtin University library database access, May 7, 2008, from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VDC-4J2W0F9-2&_user=10&_coverDate=07%2F31%2F2007&_alid=736967321&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_cdi=5979&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=5&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=a4be779fbd1b381f8803d02ad7fe3ef8
Electronic Classroom: Netiquette. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2008, from NSW Department of Education and Training: https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/strat_direction/strat_init/isp/usersafety/netiquette.htm
Goldhaber, M. H. (1997, December). Attention Shoppers! Wired Issue 5.12. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from Wired: http://www.wired.com/wired/archived/5.12/es_attention.html
Horning, R. (2006, April 13). Marginal Utility: The Attention Economy. Retrieved April 26, 2008, from Pop Matters: http://www.popmatters.com/columns/horning/060413.shtml
Iskold, A. (2007, June 12). The Implicit Web: Last.fm, Amazon, Google, Attention Trust. Retrieved May 06, 2008, from Read Write Web: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_implicit_web_lastfm_amazon_google.php
Kallos, J. (2007, August 3). Email Etiquette requires your reply. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from Business Email Etiquette: http://www.businessemailetiquette.com/?p=194
Mind Tools. (n.d.). Effective Email - How to communicate powerfully by email. Retrieved May 07, 2008, from Mind Tools: http://www.mindtools.com/CommSkll/EmailCommunication.htm
Nielsen, J. (2006, October 9). Alertbox: Participation Inequality in Social Design. Retrieved May 07, 2008, from Useit.com: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html
Preece, J; Nonnecke, B & Andrews, D. (Available online February 19, 2004, Volume 20, Issue 2, March 2004;). Computers in Human Behavior: The top five reasons for lurking: improving community experiences for everyone. Retrieved via Curtin University library database access, May 6, 2008, from Science Direct: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6VDC-4BRKMR8-7&_user=10&_coverDate=03%2F31%2F2004&_alid=735909560&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=search&_cdi=5979&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_ct=1&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=8ab0645e1ec6e04676bac49768273a87
Shea, V. (n.d.). The Core Rules of Netiquette. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from Albion.com: http://www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
Study Guides and Strategies. (n.d.). Retrieved May 9, 2008, from Study Guides and Strategies: http://www.studygs.net/netiquette.htm
Wilson, F. (2006, December 28). 2007: The Implicit Web. Retrieved May 06, 2008, from A VC - Musings of a VC in NYC: http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2006/12/2007_the_implic.html
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