Mervärdet av virtuella gemenskaper: Socialt kapital

Abstract

Considering the social dimensions of the Internet the concept of virtual communities has emerged to describe a certain kind of computer-mediated communication. This article answers the question of what kind of added value is generated for the participants of a Swedish virtual community, which gathers primarily journalists. The added value of participating in this virtual community is interpreted as a relatively high amount of social capital. Such an interpretation implies that the participants create and maintain trust between each other. This interpretation is also coherent with the ideal of the Internet as empowering the users.