How widespread is online participation in culture?

In the cultural field, also, the degree of participation is subject to a so-called „power law distribution“. In other words: A small number of extremely active users generate a large proportion of the contributions, while some active users provide occasional contributions and the lion’s share of users are rarely active and tend to engage in passive consumption (Nov et al., 2009). This shows plainly: The mere opportunity for creative expression, supported and fostered by new media, does not necessarily prompt their actual use.

Erwing (2008) makes a helpful distinction between participants in creative communities. His typology is based on an established online terminology and describes six groups in particular:

  1. Lurkers: Passive users who primarily consume contributions by other users and do not make any active appearance themselves.
  2. Newbies: New members who visit the platform for functional reasons, investigate it curiously and post initial contributions (often questions).
  3. Regulars: Regular users who have become acquainted with the platform, are developing a sense of affiliation and who periodically post contributions, not least as a form of bonding.
  4. Elders: Experienced users who perceive themselves as pillars of the community, answer a large number of questions and not least hold a moderating function.
  5. Legacies: Former elders withdrawing gradually from the community, who may occasionally intervene and whose word carries substantial weight in the
    community.

    Troll: Disturbing and provocative participation on the internet

    Figure 8: Warning signs on the net Don’t get involved with trolls!

  6. Trolls: Troublemakers who deliberately use provocative, frequently absurd, contributions to goad other users into emotional responses.

Quite frequently the so-called „Elders“, the community members located on the higher levels of the productivity scale and who make a substantial contribution to the existence of the community, are particularly interesting. They contribute significantly to the identity, but also the functionality, of a community thanks to their facilitatory and directive role. So to say, they shape its purpose and its face (Ewing, 2008). Many of their contributions are not contentual, and are instead intended to ensure that the community functions smoothly and remains coherent in purpose. This facilitatory role also affords them substantial power. Decisions on censorship, the exclusion of members or the promotion of topics are within the remit of Elders (Holt & Karlsson, 2011). Hence, the purpose and the statement of a creative community or action are not based necessarily on a broad „democratic“ basis, and instead on the lively engagement by a few members. A phenomenon that doubtless retains its validity in areas beyond online participation in the area of culture.