InfoArchiTochus.VC.37.406: The Gravitas Model (moulton)
Mon, 16 Jul 2001 06:42:37 CDT

Some years ago, back when I was studying the phenomenon of Community Building in Cyberspace, I extracted a model of the process which I called Communitas. You can still find that hoary old model documented here:

http://www.musenet.info/orenda/community.html http://www.musenet.info/bkort/ednet/ednet.5.txt

Now I am working on a new model, similar to the above, but inverted.

The new model is called Gravitas. It begins with Ex-Communication Technology. This is the affordance of conferencing systems like Motet or Web-X that enable the site manager or forum host to block or restrict participants from accessing some or all of the site, or from contributing to some or all of the forums. The next layer is called Community Unraveling. This is the process by which the Fabric of Society disintegrates as the Social Glue dries out and becomes friable and brittle. The bottom layer is called Alienation and Disgust, and is complete when Trust is shattered and Apprehensiveness and Risk are maximized. So here is the Uninspiring/Dispiriting Model of Gravitas:

Gravitas

Ex-Communication Technology
↓
Community Unraveling
↓
Alienation and Disgust