Discussion on the Web is mediated through layers of software and protocols. As scholars increasingly study communication and learning on the Internet, it is essential to consider how site administrators, programmers, and designers create interfaces and enable functionality. The managers, administrators, and designers of online communities can turn to more than 20 years of technical books for guidance on how to design online communities toward particular objectives. Through analysis of this "how-to" literature, Designing Online Communities explores the discourse of design and configuration that partially structures online communities and later social networks. Tracking the history of notions of community in these books suggests the emergence of a logic of permission and control. Online community defies many conventional notions of community. Participants are increasingly treated as "users", or even as commodities themselves to be used. Through consideration of the particular tactics of these administrators, this book suggests how researchers should approach the study and analysis of the records of online communities.

A guide to managing data in the digital age. Winner of the ALCTS Outstanding Publication Award by the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services, Winner of the Waldo Gifford Leland Award by the Society of American Archivists Many people believe that what is on the Internet will be around forever. At the same time, warnings of an impending "digital dark age"-where records of the recent past become completely lost or inaccessible-appear with regular frequency in the popular press. It's as if we need a system to safeguard our digital records for future scholars and researchers. Digital preservation experts, however, suggest that this is an illusory dream not worth chasing. Ensuring long-term access to digital information is not that straightforward; it is a complex issue with a significant ethical dimension. It is a vocation. In The Theory and Craft of Digital Preservation, librarian Trevor Owens establishes a baseline for practice in this field. In the first section of the book, Owens synthesizes work on the history of preservation in a range of areas (archives, manuscripts, recorded sound, etc.) and sets that history in dialogue with work in new media studies, platform studies, and media archeology. In later chapters, Owens builds from this theoretical framework and maps out a more deliberate and intentional approach to digital preservation. A basic introduction to the issues and practices of digital preservation, the book is anchored in an understanding of the traditions of preservation and the nature of digital objects and media. Based on extensive reading, research, and writing on digital preservation, Owens's work will prove an invaluable reference for archivists, librarians, and museum professionals, as well as scholars and researchers in the digital humanities.

#1 Amazon Bestseller in Lean Management Discover the methods of lean startups that can revolutionize large organizations and their products Even in a tough economic climate, the startup business community has found a way to create innovative, game-changing products in shockingly short timeframes. So why should larger, more established companies take notice? Because they have everything to gain when they examine and adopt the strategies, tools, and attitudes of these smaller competitors. The Lean Enterprise presents a groundbreaking design for revolutionizing larger organizations, one that draws on the ingenious tenets and practices espoused by the startup community. The guidelines in this book will help companies shake the lethargy, bureaucracy, and power struggles that plague large organizations and hold them back from true innovation. At the heart of this resource is a comprehensive, practical approach based on methods, timetables, compensation, financial investment, and case studies that reveal the startup mentality. Respected thought leaders in lean startup methodologies, the authors cover successful enterprise development, development innovation labs, corporate venture arms, and acquisition and integration of startups. * Essential reading for entrepreneurs, product managers, executives and directors in Forbes 2000 organizations, and board members * Presents the tools and methodologies large businesses need to compete with a new generation of highly-empowered entrepreneurs * Covers lean startup culture and principles and identifies the behaviors that arestunting growth at large enterprises * Offers a comprehensive, practical approach for developing exciting products and services and opening vast new markets Don't be mystified by the success of startups. Master the methods of this new generation of entrepreneurs and compete on a level playing field.