Networked Communities: Strategies for Digital Collaboration

Citation

Lam, W. (2009), "Networked Communities: Strategies for Digital Collaboration", Online Information Review, Vol. 33 No. 5, pp. 1012-1013. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520911002016

As the title suggests, this book examines the concept of “networked communities”, a topic that has recently attracted much attention. The book is voluminous, but logically organised into 11 chapters. Each chapter has a distinct focus and can be read independently of the other chapters, which is convenient given that most readers are likely to dip into chapters of particular interest to them rather than read the book from cover to cover.

Chapter 1, The Network Society, introduces the notion of communities supported through technology, and is written in a manner designed to provoke the reader to think more deeply about community issues such as goals, intelligence, community development and success. Chapter 2, The Technological Basis of Network, discusses some of the technologies that underpin networked communities. This chapter is readable by non‐technical folk, and is nicely punctuated with examples of various community initiatives where technology has played a significant role. One notable omission from this chapter, however, is the lack of discussion regarding Web 2.0 technologies.

Chapter 3, Regulation and Policy Reforms, offers an engaging discussion of some of the regulatory issues pertaining to networked communities, such as the free flow of knowledge, net neutrality and community empowerment. This chapter highlights the complexities associated with applying local regulations controlling the use of the internet. Chapter 4, Knowledge Workforce, gives an interesting perspective on the knowledge economy and the way in which networked communities provide a base of knowledge workers. Although briefly touched upon, this chapter would have benefited from more in‐depth treatment of outsourcing and “off‐shoring”.

Chapter 5, Creating Applications and a Culture of Using, is an oddly‐titled chapter that essentially deals with applications of networked communities such as e‐learning, e‐government and online entertainment. Although the chapter itself makes interesting reading, better use of images and diagrams would certainly have helped readers gain a better feel for the diverse range of applications that exist. Strangely, social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook are not discussed in much detail. Chapter 6, Innovation: Creating Ideas, looks at the role of networked communities in facilitating the innovation process, making good use of examples to explain how innovation works in practice.

Chapter 7, Strategies for Community Development, investigates the role of ICT in community development and its impact on economic development. Missing is a conceptual model or framework, which makes it difficult to follow some of the ideas discussed. Chapter 8, Citizen Empowerment and Participation, looks at how ICT empowers citizens. The chapter is not as well written as the others, and surprisingly does not cover the topic of e‐government in any great detail. Chapter 9, Leadership and Collaboration, attempts to synthesise leadership issues relating to network communities. However, it is rather shallow on leadership theory, and the list of references is notably shorter compared with the other chapters. Chapter 10, Promotion and Relationship Marketing, discusses how, through relationship marketing, networked communities present new business opportunities. Though an intriguing topic, the chapter would have benefited from more in‐depth treatment. The final chapter is the conclusion, and it neatly summarises each of the previous chapters by pulling out the key points in bullet form.

Overall, Networked Communities: Strategies for Digital Collaboration provides a good starting point for educators and postgraduate students new to the field of online communities. It is not the kind of book that one tends to read from cover to cover, but both most chapters are well written, and the fine use of examples helps relate concept to real‐world practice.