Diffusion of Innovations: A Longitudinal Study of a Virtual Community

The exponential growth and global access of the Internet may have signaled a basic change in human sociology. Increasingly, people are choosing to relate to each other through computer-mediated channels by forming virtual communities. As these virtual communities become more pervasive, it is important that we gain an understanding of the nature of these social systems. This study will analyze the content of warehoused electronic communications to study these communities. The preliminary analysis examines the viability of the community and the diffusion of innovations. The ongoing inquiry will use computerized content analysis to gain deeper insight into community dynamics, leadership and communication character.