Groupthink? On an anonymous forum? No way....

How do groups develop on an anonymous forum?

Avatars, signatures, moods, and locations, are the upfront and obvious flags for identification. Do these visual clues provide the first identification and relevance for a 'connection'?

I would guess the next most critical factor in group identification would be the content and context of posts.

Question 1: How many posters cynically tailor their posts in order to 'fit in with' or 'agree' with the group they want to identify with?

Question 2: How many posters are genuinely comfortable with that group...and how many posters do it just to 'jerk someone's chain'.

NC




[edit on 30-3-2006 by NotClever]

Interesting questions NotClever.

I believe that the billboard that we fill with personal tidbits are mostly how we want to be perceived. For me avatars, signatures and moods are just a barometer for my disposition at the moment. I try to be true to my feelings and beliefs in my day to day living. I also try to do the same online.

When I align myself with other posters, it is generally due to the content of the post. There are so many people who frequent the same sites as me that there really isn’t any chance to ‘bond’ as in a real world sense. I will follow a thread from the beginning and form opinions as I read. There are a small list of regulars whom I tend to disagree with, but I usually don’t feel the need to bait them or even bother persuading them.

I have seen my share of folk who follow popular views only because of whose view it was. I sometimes wonder why they try so hard to be liked. Perhaps it’s just the need to belong. The internet is different things to different people. If ones needs can be met at the keyboard, life must be good.

Killer response!
Thanks man...

The internet like all human society stratifies in to more or less tribal groups.

But when you throw in anonymity things get real strange real quick; As fantasy is almost indistinguishable from reality for those with a tenuous grasp on anything other than cyber space.

It's very much like paid phone sex where the outcome is real for one participant but the other is just playing a role.

The totally insane thing about forums such as this is that you can be the participant and role player at the same time or switch back and forth depending on the stimuli from other posts. That's what makes it so addicting and fun.

By paying attention to micro-syntax, it's not to hard to see deception of the role players and their little friends.