Internet Communities and their consolidation
Sunday, February 9, 2003 by Frogboy | Discussion: WinCustomize News
There's an interesting article at http://www.shirky.com/writings/powerlaw_weblog.html that talks about how consolidation occurs in any on-line community. For his example he used the growing trend of Internet blogging (one such blog: https://www.joeuser.com).
But his data applies to all types of communities that exist on the net. Most people on this site are probably not that familiar with the "history" of skinning let alone the lower level constructs of the "skinning community" but oh boy, there is and it follows much the pattern of other internet trends.
The trend is that in the beginning you start out with a small group of relative equal. But as it grows, consolidation occurs and it starts to fill out a specific geometric pattern in which the top 10% or so of the sites in such a community have 90% of the traffic. Blogs are seeing this and so have customization sites where the top few sites get all the traffic.
Highly recommended reading.
But his data applies to all types of communities that exist on the net. Most people on this site are probably not that familiar with the "history" of skinning let alone the lower level constructs of the "skinning community" but oh boy, there is and it follows much the pattern of other internet trends.
The trend is that in the beginning you start out with a small group of relative equal. But as it grows, consolidation occurs and it starts to fill out a specific geometric pattern in which the top 10% or so of the sites in such a community have 90% of the traffic. Blogs are seeing this and so have customization sites where the top few sites get all the traffic.
Highly recommended reading.
craeonics
Reply #2 Monday, February 10, 2003 3:49 PM
Reply #2 Monday, February 10, 2003 3:49 PM
Or in other words, as soon as you loose oversight, favourites start emerging. People without oversight will head for the favourites and the favourites will be even more popular, while the rest is left behind.
Reminds me, not only of sites, but of OS's too.
Reminds me, not only of sites, but of OS's too.
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Reply #1 Sunday, February 9, 2003 5:25 PM
interesting...