@inproceedings{fe06b3e0c5794cf6a100f8ffea1f0676,
title = "Investigating collaborative development activities in a virtual world: An activity theory perspective",
abstract = "Contemporary virtual worlds provide unique environments in which users may collaborate in the development of shared digital artifacts. However, the ways in which such collaboration takes place is to date under researched. This paper uses an activity theory perspective to analyze the development activities of two communities within the virtual world of Second Life, based on data gathered using ethnographic methods. The study reveals (1) the complimentary and diverging practices utilized by these two different communities of practice, (2) the mediating function of various tools, rules, and work roles in collaborative development activities, (3) the tensions created in such activities and the manner in which users overcome these tensions.",
keywords = "Activity Theory, Collaborative Development, Digital Goods, Second Life, Virtual Communities of Practice, Virtual Ethnography, Virtual world",
author = "Michael Cahalane and Joseph Feller and Patrick Finnegan",
year = "2010",
language = "English",
isbn = "9780615418988",
series = "ICIS 2010 Proceedings - Thirty First International Conference on Information Systems",
booktitle = "ICIS 2010 Proceedings - Thirty First International Conference on Information Systems",
note = "31st International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2010 ; Conference date: 12-12-2010 Through 15-12-2010",
}