Through a Glass Darkly: Information Technology Design, Identity Verification, and Knowledge Contribution in Online Communities

Citation: Meng Ma, Ritu Agarwal (2007/03) Through a Glass Darkly: Information Technology Design, Identity Verification, and Knowledge Contribution in Online Communities. Information Systems Research (RSS)
DOI (original publisher): 10.1287/isre.1070.0113
Semantic Scholar (metadata): 10.1287/isre.1070.0113
Sci-Hub (fulltext): 10.1287/isre.1070.0113
Internet Archive Scholar (search for fulltext): Through a Glass Darkly: Information Technology Design, Identity Verification, and Knowledge Contribution in Online Communities
Tagged: Psychology (RSS)

Summary

This article uses survey data to weigh the relative significance of online social community features to participants' ease and sense of reward in them. The authors examine the relationship between individual's sense of co-presence, persistent labeling (use of consistent identifier), self-presentation (ability to appear in accordance with identity), and deep profiling (awareness of one's someone's past contributions), mediated through their satisfaction with the community as well as directly related to their knowledge contribution; they found that this model was sustained across two communities with the exception of persistent labeling and in the case of the car hobbyist community, deep profiling.

Theoretical and Practical Relevance

This article offers a Computer-Mediated Communication view of online communities, weighing the relevance of specific technical features with respect to fulfillment of psychological needs.