Distant Voices in the Dark: Understanding the Incongruent Information Needs of Fiction Authors and Readers

Carol Butler
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引用次数: 1

Abstract

Online tools enable authors and readers to share information, questions and feedback about a written work without the mediation of a publisher or agent. Little is known about how the two groups interact online around works of fiction, using either specialist social reading platforms e.g. GoodReads or Wattpad, or popular social media tools like Twitter. A better understanding of the interplay between them and the role technology plays as mediator can help inform the development of next-generation tools to suit their needs. We describe findings from interviews conducted with genre fiction authors and readers about how and why they interact and share information online. Interviews revealed that the social dynamics between the groups are complex, and that intercommunication can be both limited and somewhat unwanted. This shifted our focus from identifying how they interact to understanding why they do not. We found that communication patterns established by the traditional publishing industry create barriers between the groups, made visible, and exacerbated, by their retrofit to online social platforms where readers and authors are treated as equal. We discuss our key findings and highlight opportunities to better support the incongruent information needs of the groups.
黑暗中遥远的声音:理解小说作者和读者不一致的信息需求
在线工具使作者和读者能够在没有出版商或代理的中介的情况下分享关于书面作品的信息、问题和反馈。至于这两个群体是如何在网上围绕小说进行互动的,他们是使用专业的社交阅读平台(如GoodReads或Wattpad),还是使用流行的社交媒体工具(如Twitter),我们知之甚少。更好地理解它们之间的相互作用以及技术作为中介所扮演的角色,有助于为开发下一代工具提供信息,以满足它们的需求。我们描述了对类型小说作者和读者的采访结果,内容是关于他们如何以及为什么在网上互动和分享信息。采访显示,群体之间的社会动态是复杂的,相互交流可能是有限的,有些是不必要的。这将我们的重点从确定它们如何相互作用转移到理解它们为什么不相互作用。我们发现,传统出版行业建立的交流模式在群体之间制造了障碍,通过对读者和作者平等对待的在线社交平台的改造,这种障碍变得明显,并加剧了。我们讨论了我们的主要发现,并强调了更好地支持群体不一致信息需求的机会。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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