ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an alternative view of people on the net as social beings who are looking for affiliation, support, and affirmation. Yet many large groups look more like gatherings than magazines, they have substantial social interaction with lively discussion sustained over time on many topics including, among others, atheism, sex, and databases. A social technology does so to allow people with common interests to find each other, talk and listen, and sustain connections over time. Electronic gatherings are characterized by three noteworthy social attributes not found in real-world gatherings. First, physical location is irrelevant to participation; if a person has network access, electronic gatherings are accessible. Second, most participants are relatively invisible. Third, the logistical and social costs to participate in electronic gatherings are quite low. An information-centered view leads to policy goals for limiting unauthorized access to information, for protecting the integrity of information, and for preventing the misuses of information.
