Title:
The business perspective of hostility: Is flaming destructive in
virtual communities?
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors
that attract people to virtual communities and how hostile messages, ie.
flaming, affect the community. The discussion is based on a single case study
of a large Finnish virtual community we call BAP (Baby and Pregnancy community).
Based on triangulated data (narratives, interviews and observation) we conclude
that BAP seems to meet four types of needs, namely needs of interest, relationship,
fantasy and transaction, and that the success of BAP may well be linked to
its ability to meet several needs at the same time. We also suggest that
the success of a virtual community does not automatically require a tranquil
culture, and occasional hostility among the members may be natural and acceptable
in emotionally oriented interactions. From the organizers point of view,
the hostility may also add to the ‘street credibility’ of the organizer and
increase the experienced genuineness of the community.