IEEE Technology and Society Magazine - Spring 2014 - 67

igitally Engaged Communities (DECs) are
growing exponentially within Social
Networking Sites
(SNS), such as Facebook, Twitter, Bebo, LinkedIn, and MySpace,
thanks to the wide adoption of such
sites. Digitally engaged communities are referred to by terms such as
online communities, virtual communities, Web communities, and social
networks. One of the most widely
cited definitions of DECs is that of
preece [31]. She argues that a DEC
consists of people, purpose, policies, and the computer systems. She
explains that any community is created by a group of people networking together, interacting publicly,
sharing similar needs, and governing themselves through an implicit
set of protocols guiding their interactions. preece [31] also indicates
that this kind of digital relationship
needs to be mediated by the support
of technological facilitators. Hence,
one can argue that DECs are Webbased networks of interpersonal
ties connecting people socially, and
allowing them to 1) create a sense
of belonging and construct an online
profile within a bounded system,
and 2) articulate a list of other online
contacts with whom they establish
relationships and connections.
Today, DECs are the lifeblood
of the Internet - the medium that
created an online environment for
people to get together in a more
accessible way. The initial operation of such communities depends
on the ongoing participation and
engagement of its own members as
the intended purpose behind them
cannot be achieved without the
presence of dedicated interactants
ensuring an effective functioning of the community [3]. This is
because, otherwise, it would simply
be a cyberspace of outdated content
rather than an ongoing source of
value creation and exchange.
The advent of 3G+, and beyond,
Internet-based broadband and
other Web-based technologies have

Many individuals join online networks
desperately seeking emotional
support in different aspects of life.
transformed the nature of social
interactions. Indeed, the rapid
growth of network access and the
convergence of a faster medium
of computer-mediated networking
opened opportunities for exchanging value between different parties. This proliferation of low cost
access enticed people to manage
their social lives online. Moreover,
and since the Internet has shifted
the boundaries of human interaction, communities have extended to
a broader geographical context and
more users are now joining. retrospectively, we believe that there
is an emerging need to understand
interactions at a deeper level [4],
[5], [28], including the need for a
further investigation of value elements exchanged within DECs,
as well as an in-depth illustration
of the interrelationships between
the roles adopted by users and the
value elements gratified within
each role. This is indeed vital so
as to improve our understanding of
human-human and human-information relationships that can lead
to a more effective use of the space.

intention of building relationships
(e.g., MySpace), enhancing friendships (e.g., Facebook), and pertaining
emotional/health support (e.g., Bebo
Bewell), while others have been
launched for learning reasons (e.g.,
pearson), and music sharing purposes (e.g., Bebo). On a general level,
according to peck [30], DECs can be
categorized into five main classes as
follows.
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Digitally Engaged
Communities
The convergence of a cheaper and
faster Web-based medium has
opened opportunities for global networking where exchanging value is
the main stream for a healthy community. The massive availability of
DECs has deepened the velocity
of transactions and fostered interactional density. Due to that, social
ties are shifting from linking people
in particular places to linking people
at any place. However, the initiation
of DECs has not been for the sake
of their own, as they mostly support the connection of shared interests and views. For example some
communities have emerged with an

IEEE TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIETY MAGAZINE

SprING 2014

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Person Oriented: This type
of communities focus on individuals and their social interactions (e.g., Facebook).
Professional: professional communities or communities of
practice (Cop) are communities of knowledge creation and
exchange within the boundaries of a specialsed network
(e.g., LinkedIn).
Media-Oriented: Communities that focus on the creation,
distribution, and consumption
of user-generated multi-media
content, such as videos, music,
and photos (e.g.,YouTube and
Instagram).
Virtual World: 3D Communities with multimedia tools
and applications to enhance
user-generated content that is
owned by its own members
and users (e.g., Second Life).
Mobile: Communities that
allow easy access, and make it
possible to have direct and indirect contact with the community on the move. Where news
and updates are checked simply
through any handheld device
installed with Web-based
applications (e.g., Twitter).

In spite of the purpose behind
each community, most share common participative features, i.e.,
interactants who form impressions
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