Language, Network Centrality, and Response to Crisis in On-line Life: A Case Study in the Italian Cyberpunk Computer Conference

The unobtrusive application of some techniques of research (namely, network analysis and content analysis) permits us to quantitatively identify some aspects of the social ''climate'' and context which govern a particular group of people interacting with each other through computers: the Italian cyber punk computer conference has been analyzed over a period of 19 months, through a succession of crises and moments of renewal. Monthly variations in the network measurements observed (density, reciprocity of links, etc.) may be taken as a ''barometer'' of the social liveliness of the conference. The analysis of the lexicon used in the messages reveals the presence of an underlying ''analogical'' linguistic component and of strategies for the construction of one's own social presence despite the seemingly limited possibilities of expression offered by the net. Used together, both techniques describe the expectations related to the roles of newcomer or leader. Conclusions include: a) a proposed framework to exp...