The Net Effect: Modeling and Measuring the Integration of Electronic Communities

Abstract

: Information technology can link geographically separated people and help them locate interesting or compatible resources. Although these attributes have the potential to bridge gaps and unite communities, they also have the potential to fragment interaction and divide groups by leading people to spend more time on special interests and by screening out less preferred contact. This paper introduces precise measures of information integration and develops a model of individual knowledge profiles and community affiliation. These factors suggest different conditions under which improved access, search, and screening can integrate or fragment interaction. As IT capabilities continue to improve, preferences, not geography or technology, become the key determinants of community boundaries. The Net Effect and Integration 3 I. Introduction -- The Emerging Global Village? With the explosive growth in Internet connections worldwide, networked communication has the potential to shrink geograp...

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