Jeremy Birnholtz
ABSTRACT
People have long sought answers to questions online, typically using either anonymous or pseudonymous forums or social network platforms that primarily use real names. Systems that allow anonymous communication afford freedom to explore identity and discuss taboo topics, but can result in negative disinhibited behavior such as cyberbullying. Identifiable communication systems allows one to reach a known audience and avoid negative disinhibition, but can constrain behavior with concerns about privacy and reputation. One persistent design issue is understanding how to leverage the benefits of anonymity without suffering its drawbacks. This paper presents a case study analysis of question asking on Facebook confession boards (FCBs), a tool popular on some college campuses. FCBs present a unique configuration in which members of an offline community (e.g., a university) anonymously submit content to a moderator who posts it to a Facebook page where others in the community can view it and respond. Response is via identifiable Facebook comments and likes. Our results show users asking about taboo and stigmatized topics with local others, and receiving relevant responses with little cyberbullying or negativity.
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Index Terms
- "Is it Weird to Still Be a Virgin": Anonymous, Locally Targeted Questions on Facebook Confession Boards
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