A Semiotic, Holistic and Systems Approach to

Understanding Public Goods and Participation

in Virtual Communities of Practice

Michael Ellis

The author would like readers to consider this as work in progress and welcomes any comments or suggestions to: holistiks@yahoo.co.uk

Originally submitted as a dissertation as part of BA (Hons) Modern Languages and Information Systems at the University of the West of England, Bristol, UK in January 2002.

This version 24/07/2003.

Once upon a time, computers were not social beings. ¹

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Abstract

Resumen en Español / Summary in Spanish

Introduction

Section 1

Semiotics and its role in meaning creation in the context of discussion lists

Section 2

What's the CLIMATE like in your community?

Community

Medium

Language and Identity

Communities and the management of knowledge

Interaction

Section 3

Interaction versus Participation

Potential barriers to participation

Within the systems approach

Outside the sytems approach

Interface

Identity

Trust the information?

Section 4

Artefacts as Public Goods and Generalised Exchange

Conclusion

Critique

To conclude

Appendix 1

FUNREDES

Appendix 2

Community Informatics discussion list

Appendix 3

Figure 1: Mathematical View of Communications

Figure 2: Generalised View of Communications

Appendix 4

Figure 1: The Knowledge Spiral

Bibliography

1.Wellman, 2001, p.2031.