Social Regulation in Virtual Spaces

Poster

Advisor: Paul Dourish, Mark Ackerman (University of Michigan)

Abstract: This research project focuses on social regulation of user behavior within virtual social spaces. A multi-year field study of two fantasy-based game MUDs (multi-user dungeons) was conducted to gain a detailed understanding of the work performed by game administrators (immortals) to ensure that player behavior conforms to accepted gameplay rules and norms The immortals view this regulatory work as a key aspect of maintaining a vibrant community. The analysis of the ethnographic data focuses on how the virtuality of these environments impacts efforts to regulate behavior within them.

In addition, a key feature of social regulation in virtual spaces is the use and possible use of specialized software routines to regulate specific behaviors – using code as a means of regulation. Accordingly, a major portion of the analysis focuses on the specific operational details of such ‘coded’ rules and compares that to the everyday operation of the manual process undertaken by the immortals.

Bio: Jack Muramatsu is a Ph.D. student in the School of ICS, in the Information and Collaborative Technologies group (ICT), working with Paul Dourish and Mark Ackerman. He is interested in studying social interaction in virtual spaces as well as exploring the role of software in mediating said interaction. He received a M.S. in Information and Computer Science from University of California, Irvine in 2000 and a B.S. in Cognitive Science from the University of California, San Diego in 1994.