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This chapter focuses on community and social group networks. All six facets of knowledge networks are described. The importance of three of the six facets is called out, including geography, domain, and the messages exchanged across the network. The authors provide profiles of five networks, including family networks, neighborhood networks, issue and support networks, community organization networks, gangs and criminal networks, and sports and gaming networks.

Community detection of dynamic networks provides more effective information than static network community detection in the real world. The mainstream method for community detection in dynamic networks is evolutionary clustering, which uses temporal smoothness of community structures to connect snapshots of networks in adjacent time intervals. However, the error accumulation issues limit the effectiveness of evolutionary clustering. While the multi-objective evolutionary approach can solve the issue of fixed settings of the two objective function weight parameters in the evolutionary clustering framework, the traditional multi-objective evolutionary approach lacks self-adaptability.

This paper proposes a community detection algorithm that integrates evolutionary clustering and decomposition-based multi-objective optimization methods. In this approach, a benchmark correction procedure is added to the evolutionary clustering framework to prevent the division results from drifting.

Experimental results demonstrate the superior accuracy of this method compared to similar algorithms in both real and synthetic dynamic datasets.

To enhance the clustering results, adaptive variances and crossover probabilities are designed based on the relative change amounts of the subproblems decomposed by MOEA/D (A Multiobjective Optimization Evolutionary Algorithm based on Decomposition) to dynamically adjust the focus of different evolutionary stages.

This paper utilizes the generic source of “community” to define a disaster community emphasizing disaster areas’ perceived boundaries and the social networks that fall within these boundaries. Three such “disaster communities” are proposed based on family‐kin, micro‐neighborhood, and macro‐neighborhood social networks. Utilizing an Israel national representative sample of (814) urban households residing in 150 municipalities, a set of hypotheses were tested regarding the impact of disaster communities on individual disaster preparedness behaviors. In general, more socially robust communities brought about greater levels of individual preparedness but with significant exceptions by type of preparedness. In addition, the predictive ability of such disaster communities on each preparedness component varied. Ethnic and educational composition of the networks had a negligible impact on disaster preparedness behaviors. Overall, the use of social network based disaster communities provides a sound theoretical and empirical foundation to study disaster behaviors.

Community informatics can be defined as a strategy or discipline that focuses on the use of information and communication technologies by territorial communities. This paper analyzes the emerging community informatics evaluation literature to develop an understanding of the indicators used to gauge project impacts in community networks and community technology centers. This study finds that community networks and community technology center assessments fall into five key areas: strong democracy; social capital; individual empowerment; sense of community; and economic development opportunities. The paper concludes by making recommendations for future community informatics evaluations.

The present study aimed to examine the value creation process in an online forum community of a crowdsourcing company by analyzing members' interactions and network structures.

A mixed-method approach was adopted. First, a participation-observation netnographic approach was employed to identify the interactions that lead to the collective creation of three types of value: social, intellectual, and cultural. Second, using social network analysis, the collective value creation process was examined through the network structures, and the key actors and their roles in value creation were identified.

findings presented that members collectively create value in a unique manner for enhancing product designs in a crowdsourcing community. Three types of value coexisted and were often created inter-dependently. The interactions among the members were not dense yet were fairly knitted without any significant core-periphery structures, indicating a less restrained flow of value. The findings of the study identified that most of the bridging members in the network were likely to have diverse social and intellectual resources.

The present study was one of the first to examine the collective value creation process through a network perspective. In particular, this study offered a richer understanding of the unique collective value creation process in a crowdsourcing community and the role of bridging actors in the network. Implications for crowdsourcing companies are provided to sustain a continuous flow of quality contributions from the forum community members.

This work aims to probe how interface designers concerned with human‐computer interaction of community networks might use the theoretical constructs of social capital and activity awareness.

A design model for community network interfaces is introduced that reconciles various computer‐mediated communication research contributions with support for typical community network scenarios of use. Using this model, an inspection is performed on existing community network implementations (available December 2002) and then the adequacy of the model for informing the design process is examined.

Based on the insight gained through this analysis, a generic prototype and new user evaluation method are introduced that allow survey of user reaction to community network design elements under differing conditions. It is shown how results obtained through this method frame a value‐chain understanding of conceptual tradeoffs.

To demonstrate the new user evaluation method in an analysis of critical design tradeoffs, the issues of persistent virtual identity implementation and usage motivation are probed. However, the evaluation method must be validated with other issues and tested by researchers that were not part of its creation process.

Contributions from this paper include tools (a design model, a generic prototype, and an evaluation method) linking theory with community design artifacts, building on previous work. Evaluators now have indicators for assessing community informatics.

Interface designers of community networks and those interested in social capital theory will appreciate the link between practice and theory provided by this approach.

The purpose of this study is to investigate coproduction behavior in networking alumni communities via the progress from platform belongingness, knowledge sharing and citizenship behavior. Alumni networking communities have emerged as valuable assets for conserving institutional resources, supporting members and contributing new resources for alumni-institutional professional development. However, the previous literature has not yet captured the explicit processes by which these contributions are made.

Data from 711 respondents selected from an alumni collaboration network were subjected to structural equation modeling analysis.

The study explored resource conservation (belongingness) as the primary relational mechanism for alumni to share their instrumental resources (knowledge sharing), supporting resources (citizenship behavior) and competent resources (coproduction behavior). Knowledge sharing and citizenship behavior act as intermediate agents to trigger coproduction behavior. The authors show how subjective norm, group norm and trust is regarded as a tool to reduce bonding intrusiveness (i.e. the intrusive side-effects of a bond) and moderate the indirect effect of belongingness on coproduction and the direct effect of citizenship on coproduction.

By applying attachment theory, conservation of resources theory and digital platform networking perspectives, this study describes major implications for designing inspiring and compatible community platforms.

Guidance is provided for improving sustainable alumni communities through citizenship-sharing and coproduction behavior.

Online alumni communities are regarded as resource conservators, which can result in valuable coproduction, via the sharing of knowledge, expertise and skillsets to create profit for a range of institutions and industries.

Alumni networking platforms encourage alumni cohesiveness, stimulate knowledge exchange and improve professionalism.

The study had three main aims. To better understand and explain commitment dynamics using a commitment based analytical model. To show that commitment is an essential foundation of synergistic interactions which drive the speed of response to environmental change. To explain why and under what circumstances people in social networks become committed to a common cause. How this leads to authentic identity creation and how both lead successful outcomes.

The fieldwork for the study was qualitative and interpretive in nature and used semi-structured interviews to collect the data. As a consequence, the approach was mindful of issues of reflexivity wherein it is acknowledged that the researcher-respondent are conjoined in a sense-making process which is unavoidable and inevitable. It proceeded in three phases: sampling of the case, data gathering, and data analysis. One case was selected in order to increase the depth of the analysis, acquire and report experience with the gathering of new and unfamiliar data.

The findings suggest that commitment based community networks are primarily driven by concerns. The study shows that in order to shift the concerns of a culture, community network leaders must clearly articulate and gain “buy in” to the concerns to be addressed. They must create and maintain a clear focus and develop a shared sense of commitment among participants. The research reveals a complex interaction between the commitment drivers and the successful outcomes of the project especially the unfolding and alteration of commitments in time and through time at the strategic, transforming and operating levels as circumstances change.

Being qualitative and interpretive in nature, the approach is limited by issues of reflexivity wherein it is acknowledged that the researcher-respondent are conjoined in a sense-making process. While this is unavoidable and inevitable, the findings from this study have implications for research into the impact of community based networking strategies on strategic management because so much strategic planning in business is preoccupied by public reputation.

In taking the position that personal and corporate identity is neither wholly the result of total commitment nor wholly the result of recognition-based identity, the practical implications require a deeper consideration of the challenges surrounding collaborative community models. Because language is used loosely, requests can be made ambiguously and commitments frivolously. The inevitable result is a total breakdown in trust.

This work is highly original because it points to the obvious which few leaders and managers appear to take into account. In those cases where the power of language and commitment are considered, the results are highly positive.

eduroam™ has already been proved to be a scalable, secure and feasible way for universities and research institutions to connect their wireless networks into a WLAN roaming community, but the advantages of eduroam™ have not yet been fully discovered in the wireless community networks aimed at regular consumers. This aim of this paper is to describe how eduroam™ architecture and technologies can be utilised in building these kinds of wireless community networks and to present the experiences gathered in building the Wireless Tampere community network.

The eduroam™ architecture and technologies were chosen as the basis of Wireless Tampere community network architecture because of their scalability and security. Deploying eduroam™ technologies and architecture to a wider user base both confirmed old and revealed new issues and solutions in improving the usability and the deployment effort of eduroam™ and similar technologies.

The eduroam™ technology and architecture can be utilised to build wireless community networks, but additional effort must be allocated in improving the usability and the ease of deployment when consumers, company and other regular users are involved. The improvements achieved would not have been developed if the concept and architecture had not been exposed to consumer and company users. The development of both the eduroam™ and Wireless Tampere concept requires deploying them to a wider audience and improving them iteratively utilising the existing solutions as the basis for new improvements.

The paper presents the issues and problems, which were confronted when applying eduroam™ technologies in building the Wireless Tampere community network. The solutions found and deployment experiences presented can be utilised in improving eduroam™ as well as a basis for developing new, open and inter‐connected wireless community networks.

The main goal of the paper is to explore the origins and developments of the first community cellular network in Mexico.

Data were gathered in 2015 and 2016 through in-depth interviews, participant observation, workshops, photos, official documents, and informal interviews in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. Data was also drawn from the work of two activists, P. Bloom and E. Huerta, working with the community assemblies of a number of Indígena communities: Villa Talea de Castro, Santa María Yaviche, San Juan Yaee, San Ildefonso Villa Alta, San Bernardo Mixetepec, Santa Ana Tlahuitoltepec, San Jerónimo Progreso, Santiago Ayuquililla, San Miguel Huautla, Santa Inés de Zaragoza, Santo Domingo Xagacia, San Pablo Yaganiza, San Pedro Cajonos, San Francisco Cajonos, San Miguel Cajonos, San Mateo Cajonos, Santa María Alotepec, and San Juan Tabaá. To analyze the data, using codes created in Atlas.TI and relying on an inductive approach, we analyzed the history of this network within a theoretical framework informed by Actor-Network Theory.

Participants in the enactment of this cellular network followed two programs of actions, one technical and one legal. Together, the community assemblies and activists took advantage of available devices, free software and ordinary computers, on the one hand, and communal rules, national laws, constitutional reforms and tacit knowledge, on the other hand. They brought about a new, non-profit, communitarian, and self-organized network that allows for inexpensive communication between members of small, marginalized Indígena communities in the state of Oaxaca in Mexico.

The arrangement of actants that the case illustrates is replicable in other parts of the country and outside of Mexico. The new community cellular network reduces the economic costs of communication, facilitates some jobs and family bonds, expands the range of community-owned projects, encourages self-organization and ways of situated conflict resolution, and empowers communities in relation to external powerful telecommunication corporations.

This is a novel account of a highly unusual set of community-led institutional innovations based on firsthand information drawn from the main actants of the new network.