International Journal of Web Based Communities (11 papers in press)

Regular Issues

• Social distancing close together: The rhizomatic role of WhatsApp in communities  
  by Johannes C. Cronje 
  Abstract: As Covid-19 hits its peak people who are not in close physical proximity but who do communicate regularly on social platforms such as WhatsApp groups often claim to feel a sense of closeness to others. This paper will consider the features and functioning for WhatsApp groups in terms of Preece’s (2000) characteristics of a virtual community: People, purpose, politics and computer systems, and filter them through Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) six principles of the rhizome : Connectedness, heterogeneity, multiplicity, asignifying rupture, cartography and decalcomania to see the relationship between the principles of the rhizome and the sense of closeness in a virtual community. Finally a six by four matrix is proposed for the analysis of various aspects of virtual communities.
  Keywords: Social distancing; Social closeness; rhizome theory; virtual community; WhatsApp.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10032198
   
  
• Method of Differential Privacy Protection for Web-Based Communities Based on Adding Noise to the Centroid of Positions  
  by Jun Hu, Chun Guan, Alexander Shatalov, Yu Zhou 
  Abstract: The research of location privacy protection has a very important significance for the emergence and sustenance of web-based communities in the big data era. The method of differential privacy for position is a privacy model strictly for the measurement of privacy. However, under the privacy protection for multi-positions, it will bring much bigger errors by adopting the method of adding noise to protect the privacy of multi-positions. In this paper, the author puts forward a new method of differential privacy for multi-positions based on mechanism of adding noise to the centroid of positions, and compares with the independent mechanism of adding noise. The experiment shows that the centroid mechanism of adding noise is better than the mechanism of independently adding noise.
  Keywords: Privacy; Privacy Protection; Web-based Communities; Location-based Services; Centroid; Multi-positions.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10032199
   
  
• Sustaining social capital online amidst social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Web-based communities, their mitigating effects, and associated issues  
  by Ardion Beldad 
  Abstract: COVID-19 prompted the enforcement of strict social distancing measures in most parts of the world. Such measures have serious implications for how people interact, socialize, and collaborate with one another. Social distancing contradicts the social nature of human beings; hence, social connections are still maintained even at a distance. Various forms of modern communication technologies (e.g. online social networking sites, video conferencing tools) allow people to sustain their social capital, even during a pandemic. Therefore, it is argued that web-based communities are instrumental in tackling the psychological costs of social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonetheless, people’s increasing dependence on these technologies during uncertain times are associated with several issues. COVID-19 is highlighting digital inequality, which makes it unthinkable for people in some parts of the world to proceed with their normal activities online. Moreover, increased use of these technologies has implications for people’s online privacy and mental well-being.
  Keywords: COVID-19; social distancing; social capital; online social networking sites; videoconferencing technologies; web-based communities.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10032200
   
  
• WEB-BASED COMMUNITY-SUPPORTED ONLINE EDUCATION DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC  
  by Eugenia Smyrnova-Trybulska, Nataliia Morze 
  Abstract: The article presents documents, measures, activities and initiatives at the state level, the levels of higher eduacation institutions in Ukraine, at the level of secondary education, the initiativeas of private firms, societies, communities in Ukraine and Poland in crisis situations, using the covid-19 pandemic - Polish - Ukrainian experience. A review of formal experience in the country and abroad concerning formal regulations, introduction of e-learning at different levels and description of its characteristics, properties, advantages and trends of further development of e-learning taking into account the specifics of the educational policy of the region, type of institution, training and so on. This article also focuses on the questions: How Web-Based Communities can mitigate the lack of f2f meetings during COVID-19 and similar pandemics in the future? How the current generation of Web-Communities lands in a transition: Do they get better tuned to fulfill the new needs during this pandemic?
  Keywords: Internet education; crisis situations; covid-19 pandemic; Polish and Ukrainian experience; Web based Communities; social media; ICT tools.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10032201
   
  
• Benefits and Challenges of Social Networking during COVID-19: Personal Perspective  
  by Tomayess Issa, Mohammed Al Jaafari, Abdullah Alqahtani, Sulaiman Alqahtani, Theodora Issa, Lydia Maketo, Sumaiya Pervaiz 
  Abstract: In December 2019, our lives changed forever, as a new virus
  Keywords: COVID-19; Social Networking; Benefits and Challenges; Personal Perspective.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10032453
   
  
• Framing social media and web-based communities within the COVID-19 pandemic: Enduring social isolation and subsequent deconfinement  
  by Pedro Isaias, Paula Miranda, Sara Pifano 
  Abstract: As images circulate of people, all around the world, watching their cities from their windows and balconies, a sense of solemnity emerges. The COVID-19 pandemic forced millions of people to seclusion in an attempt to control contagion. The social isolation deriving from the adoption of containment strategies have displaced social interaction to online settings. Social media and web-based communities assume an increasingly central role in this scenario of pandemic, with an ever-growing number of people turning to these platforms to maintain social connection, to obtain information and to keep a sense of community. This paper aims to examine and frame the role of social media and web-based communities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It reviews current literature to propose a framework based on five main purposes of social media use and web-based communities: preserving physical health, promoting mental health, tending to education/business, searching and sharing information and socializing.
  Keywords: Social media; COVID-19 pandemic; web-based communities; social distancing; deconfinement.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10033012
   
  
• “Do I Want to Work for Him?” The Effects of Variations in Content, Source, and Age of Managers’ Social Networking Information on Prospective Job Applicants’ Attitudes  
  by William H. Ross, Christopher Ballweg, Davide Secchi 
  Abstract: Does personal Social Networking Website (SNW) content influence prospective job applicant reactions to their probable supervisor? A 2 x 2 x 2 design varied whether (a) the prospective manager’s SNW comments emphasized alcohol abuse vs. professional activities, (b) his friends emphasized alcohol vs. professional activities, and (c) SNW information was five days vs. five years old. Findings indicated that alcohol-oriented information on personal SNWs
  Keywords: Social Networking Website; Organizational Attraction; Social Media; Personnel Selection; Alcohol Abuse; Facebook; Brunswick Lens Model; Warranting; Negativity Hypothesis; Information Congruence.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10033013
   
  
• Application of microblog big data based for Web-based Communities  
  by Weilong Zhang, Tao Yu 
  Abstract: Microblog is a new forum to publish short text. Because of its huge user base and its convenience, it promises to be an excellent instrumentation for feeding and sustaining web-based communities. Therefore, the analysis of microblog topics is introduced and proposed as reference for correct decision making in online communities. This paper briefly introduces the collection method of microblog data and the clustering algorithm of topic classification. Then the clustering algorithm is improved, and the Storm system was introduced. The K-means algorithm before and after the improvement was simulated and analysed in the single-machine environment and Storm framework. The results show that the improved clustering algorithm has a higher classification accuracy and a lower false alarm rate both in the single-machine environment and Storm framework. Under the same clustering algorithm, the algorithm in the Storm framework has a higher classification accuracy, a lower false alarm rate and a shorter recognition time.
  Keywords: web-based communities; Storm; microblog; clustering algorithm, latent Dirichlet allocation.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10033477
   
  
• Faith Communities Online: Christian Churches’ Reactions to the COVID-19 Outbreak  
  by Anthony-Paul Cooper, Ilkka Jormanainen, Annastasia Shipepe, Erkki Sutinen 
  Abstract: The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus as a global pandemic has challenged the operations of faith communities around the world. Contrary to secular communities, faith communities need to base their actions on theological arguments. Normally, at least in the mainline churches, theological reflections and related decision making follow a strictly regulated hierarchical process that was not possible when refining novel modes of actions required by the pandemic and governmental legislation. It seems that, hence, it was not the central administration that was in charge, but rather congregations and smaller groups that were proactive in shifting and modernizing their operations. This saw individual congregations transforming to faith-based online communities almost overnight, gathering participants well beyond conventional physical events. The fact that the virus outbreak overlapped with the important Easter season, normally attracting people to attend church services even in secularized countries, enriches the analysis.
  Keywords: COVID-19; Digital Theology; Online Religion; Religion Online; Sociology of Religion; Church Growth; Faith Communities; Web-based Communities.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10033660
   
  
• Older Adults and Online Communities: Recent Findings, Gaps and Opportunities  
  by Ryan Ebardo, Merlin Teodosia Suarez 
  Abstract: Rapid population ageing and wider access to technology create opportunities for older adults to engage in online communities where they participate in various forms of social exchanges. Older adults are thriving online and it is paramount for research to present the recent directions of scholarly works to depict the everyday digital lives of this specific social cluster. Through a systematic literature review, we identify twenty papers investigating online communities of older adults from the last six years. Participation by older adults in online communities are primarily motivated by cognitive benefits, engagement and enjoyment. Further inquiry revealed that they are adopting communities in social media, that sociocultural contextualisation is vital and modern methodologies are appropriate. We direct the attention of future studies towards the impact of social media, effects of phases in late life and inclusion of older adults from different cultural backgrounds to depict today’s reality of their digital lives.
  Keywords: older adults; online communities; social media; web-based communities; literature review.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10033661
   
  
• Remote working in times of Covid 19  
  by Martin Sposato 
  Abstract: The purpose of this article is to provide suggestions for the implementation of remote working under forced quarantine as experienced in many countries facing the consequence of the COVID 19 virus This article takes the perspectives of an organization as well as an end-user and provides a methodology for the successful implementation of remote working as a reactive measure This paper presents literature on the application and use of remote working, from both an organizational and from an employee perspective providing suggestions for a better adaptation to remote working The author, addresses the singularities and challenges of implementing remote working as a consequence of quarantine and several measures for organizations and employees are proposed.
  Keywords: Remote working; Covid 19; teleworking; quarantine.
  DOI: 10.1504/IJWBC.2021.10034191