Exploring mischief and mayhem in social computing or: How we learned to stop worrying and love the trolls

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingsChapterpeer-review

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the role of mischief as borderline socially acceptable behaviour within social computing applications. Mischievous activity pushes the boundaries of the implicit social contract present in all online social systems, and, we argue, is of vital importance understanding online social interactions. Using examples from games and other applications, we explore mischief as an act of appropriation, which reinterprets mechanics defined by developers in unexpected and sometimes upsetting ways. Although frequently interpreted as negative and anti-social behaviour, we argue that mischief serves a vital social role, and find surprising richness in the chaos.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationExtended Abstracts - The 30th ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2012
Pages121-130
Number of pages10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012
Externally publishedYes
Event30th ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2012 - Austin, TX, United States
Duration: 5 May 201210 May 2012

Publication series

NameConference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - Proceedings

Conference

Conference30th ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI 2012
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityAustin, TX
Period5/05/1210/05/12

Keywords

  • appropriation
  • games
  • mischief
  • social architecture
  • social computing
  • social design

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