Electronic Tribes : The Virtual Worlds of Geeks, Gamers, Shamans, and Scammers

Whether people want to play games and download music, engage in social networking and professional collaboration, or view pornography and incite terror, the Internet provides myriad opportunities for people who share common interests to find each other. The contributors to this book argue that these self-selected online groups are best understood as tribes, with many of the same ramifications, both positive and negative, that tribalism has in the non-cyber world. In Electronic Tribes, the authors of sixteen competitively selected essays provide an up-to-the-minute look at the social uses and occasional abuses of online communication in the new media era. They explore many current Internet subcultures, including MySpace.com, craftster.org, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) such as World of Warcraft, music downloading, white supremacist and other counterculture groups, and Nigerian e-mail scams. Their research raises compelling questions and some remarkable answers about the real-life social consequences of participating in electronic tribes. Collectively, the contributors to this book capture a profound shift in the way people connect, as communities formed by geographical proximity are giving way to communities―both online and offline―formed around ideas. Introduction, Introduction, -- Jim Parker Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance -- Ann Rosenthal Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance -- Ann Rosenthal -- Michael C. Zalot Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance -- Ann Rosenthal -- Michael C. Zalot -- Leonie Naughton Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance -- Ann Rosenthal -- Michael C. Zalot -- Leonie Naughton -- Steve Abrams and Smaragd Grün Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance -- Ann Rosenthal -- Michael C. Zalot -- Leonie Naughton -- Steve Abrams and Smaragd Grün -- Jody M. Roy Introduction, -- Jim Parker -- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith -- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen -- Bolanle Olaniran -- Christina Standerfer -- David R. Dewberry -- Terri L. Russ -- Thomas Brignall III -- Jonathan Skinner -- Deborah Clark Vance -- Ann Rosenthal -- Michael C. Zalot -- Leonie Naughton -- Steve Abrams and Smaragd Grün -- Jody M. Roy -- Mathieu O'Neil Introduction,-- Jim Parker-- Tyrone L. Adams and Stephen A. Smith-- Veronica M. Davidov and Barbara Andersen-- Bolanle Olaniran-- Christina Standerfer-- David R. Dewberry-- Terri L. Russ-- Thomas Brignall III-- Jonathan Skinner-- Deborah Clark Vance-- Ann Rosenthal-- Michael C. Zalot-- Leonie Naughton-- Steve Abrams and Smaragd Grün-- Jody M. Roy-- Mathieu O'Neil-- Farooq A. Kperogi and Sandra Duhé. In Electronic Tribes, The Authors Of Sixteen Competitively Selected Essays Provide An Up-to-the-minute Look At The Social Uses And Occasional Abuses Of Online Communication In The New Media Era. They Explore Many Current Internet Subcultures, Including Myspace.com, Craftster.org, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (mmorpgs) Such As World Of Warcraft, Music Downloading, White Supremacist And Other Counterculture Groups, And Nigerian Email Scams.--back Cover. Introduction, Where Is The Shaman? / Jim Parker -- Tribe By Any Other Name... / Tyrone L. Adams And Stephen A. Smith -- Mimetic Kinship : Theorizing Online Tribalism / Veronica M. Davidov And Barbara Andersen -- Electronic Tribes (e-tribes) : Some Theoretical Perspectives And Implications / Bolanle Olaniran -- Revisiting The Impact Of Tribalism On Civil Society : An Investigation Of The Potential Benefits Of Membership In An E-tribe On Public Discourse / Christina Standerfer -- Theorizing The E-tribe On Myspace.com / David R. Dewberry -- Don't Date, Craftsterbate : Dialogue And Resistance On Craftster.org / Terri L. Russ -- Guild Life In The World Of Warcraft : Online Gaming Tribalism / Thomas Brignall Iii -- At The Electronic Evergreen : A Computer-mediated Ethnography Of Tribalism In A Newsgroup From Montserrat And Afar / Jonathan Skinner -- Like A Neighborhood Of Sisters : Can Culture Be Formed Electronically? / Deborah Clark Vance -- Gerald M. Phillips As Electronic Tribal Chief : Socioforming Cyberspace / Ann Rosenthal -- Digital Dreamtime, Sonic Talismans : Music Downloading And The Tribal Landscape / Michael C. Zalot -- Magic, Myth, And Mayhem : Tribalization In The Digital Age / Leonie Naughton -- Mundanes At The Gate-- And Perverts Within : Managing Internal And External Threats To Community Online / Steve Abrams And Smaragd Grün -- Brotherhood Of Blood : Aryan Tribalism And Skinhead Cybercrews / Jody M. Roy -- Radical Tribes At Warre : Primitivists On The Net / Mathieu O'neil -- Tribe Migrates Crime To Cyberspace : Nigerian Igbos In 419 E-mail Scams / Farooq A. Kperogi And Sandra Duhé. Edited By Tyrone L. Adams And Stephen A. Smith. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.