Groups Online: Hacktivism and Social Protest

Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics, such as behavioral analysis, cyberpsychology, and online privacy, this book is geared towards IT specialists, administrators, business managers, researchers, and students interested in online ..

Geo-Crowdsourcing Contributions for Cultural Mapping

Over the years, cultural mapping methods have been used in several applications and contexts, for diverse cultural assets and to create new conditions for the development of local and regional resources. These methods were inspired by the development of big urban centres and regions, which have been the great engine of cultural mapping growth. The main objectives of the present paper are to provide a literature review on cultural mapping methodologies and to develop exploratory research on crowdsource tools on creative tourism which were applied to one Portuguese municipality in 2017. The research was supported by the implementation and integration of geographic information systems (GIS) and web mapping, which will become part of the solution for the growth of less developed territories and to make more interactive tourist activities. Web mapping’s contribution to enhance crowd participation was measured via analysis of 12 digital photos shared through crowdsourcing. The originality of this research lies in the attempt to develop a new model for creative tourism, trying to extend the implementation of Web Mapping crowdsourcing to deprived low density territories. Results show how public participation can be amplified for the tourism market by crowdsourcing tools. These tools look very promising since they can help several members of the public at different ages to contribute to territorial knowledge, engage in activities, and collaborate through digital tools. It is a step to fulfil the lack of studies in this subject and it contributes to the way we think about future studies

Significados del viaje turístico en jóvenes millenials. Caso de estudio: Texcoco, México

Desde un paradigma interpretativo, realizamos un estudio sobre las creencias y valores que orientan los viajes turísticos de los y las gentes jóvenes millenials para establecer su tipificación turística. Con este objetivo, adelantamos una investigación cualitativa con jóvenes estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, en la región de Texcoco de la zona metropolitana de la ciudad de México. Sustentamos el planteamiento teórico en Schütz y Lalive, considerando el ethos como categoría base. Las técnicas que utilizamos fueron la entrevista —aplicada a 29 jóvenes de manera interactiva—, y el análisis del discurso, desagregado en las dimensiones temporal, social y espacial. Los hallazgos nos permitieron configurar dos ethos: el tradicional y el liberador, cuya diferenciación radica en los anclajes socioculturales que tiene la gente joven a partir de sus creencias y valores

Motives influencing Facebook usage as a social networking site: An empirical study using international students

Orientation: Recent trends in the world show a growing usage of social networking sites. Research has grown in interest on understanding uses of social networking sites by different groups of people. With increasing numbers of international students being hosted by South African institutions, it is imperative that special focus should be directed towards understanding their usage of social networking sites as part of their lived experience. Research purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the motives influencing Facebook usage amongst international students at a rural campus in South Africa. Motivation for the study: Continued increase in international student enrolment at South African institutions, coupled with rising popularity of social networking sites amongst university students, has presented a new area to carry out research of this nature. Research approach, design and method: A quantitative research approach was followed in carrying out this study. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to answer the research questions of the study. The respondents (n= 158) were international students enrolled at a rural university campus in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa during the 2016 academic year. Main findings: Motives for Facebook usage were found to be positively related to Facebook usage. Practical and managerial implications: Findings of this study can assist international education practitioners to develop strategies that will aid in understanding how international students operate in the higher education context

“Catarsis online”: Percepciones del comportamiento agresivo tras el anonimato de las redes sociales

La presente investigación titulada “Catarsis online”: Percepciones del comportamiento agresivo tras el anonimato de las redes sociales, tiene como propósito explorar cómo afecta el anonimato de las redes sociales en el comportamiento agresivo de los jóvenes universitarios, empleando para ello un enfoque cualitativo con diseño fenomenológico. La muestra estuvo conformada por 17 participantes de entre 17 a 35 años de edad, a quienes se les aplicó una entrevista semiestructurada. Se utilizó una guía de preguntas abiertas previamente validadas por expertos. Para el análisis de y categorización de los datos se utilizó el programa MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020. Tras el estudio se concluyó que los jóvenes universitarios emplean sus datos reales para acceder a redes sociales, usar estos medios con fines de ocio por más de tres horas diarias; además, los jóvenes prefieren conocer amistades de manera presencial antes que virtual; el tipo de lenguaje que suelen usar es coloquial; en su mayoría los jóvenes han vivido y/o presenciado un acto de violencia online. Por ello, se recomienda emprender acciones preventivas promocionales sobre el tema para educar sobre este fenómeno y su repercusión en su desarrollo integral

Valores e imaginarios de los jóvenes universitarios en torno al viaje turístico. Caso de estudio: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, campus Texcoco

Tesis por artículo científico para obtener el grado de Maestría en Estudios TurísiticosEl presente trabajo de investigación radica sobre los valores e imaginarios significativos de los viajes turísticos en los jóvenes; interpretarlos es una relación compleja porque está sujeto a la dinámica de las relaciones de clase, las alianzas, las identidades y la conciencia de los sujetos en un momento histórico geográfico dado. Se ha detectado que los jóvenes viajan en busca de experiencias hedonistas, de placer, diversión y libertad lejos de las normas sociales impuestas en sus lugares de residencia habitual; el consumo de grandes cantidades de alcohol, uso de drogas y actividades de alto riesgo han sido reconocidos como factores característicos de grupos específicos del turismo juvenil, sin embargo, poco se ha estudiado sobre el perfil turístico de jóvenes cuyos contextos y condiciones de vida son distintos a los señalados, así como sus comportamientos y valores, por lo que se considera pertinente estudiarlos debido a la importancia del turismo juvenil para el sector turístico y su diversidad. El caso que se presenta en esta tesis corresponde a un estudio realizado con jóvenes estudiantes de la Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), localizada en la Zona Metropolitana del Valle de México. El estudio se sustenta en la categoría teórica de las tipificaciones de Alfred Schütz y del ethos de Lalive d ́Epinay; se llevó a cabo la investigación haciendo uso de una metodología mixta y se concretó con una encuesta de 350 informantes y 29 entrevistas, que sostienen las propuestas del perfil del ethos turístico de los jóvenes en cuanto a los valores e imaginarios detectados. Entre los imaginarios encontrados están la unión familiar, el placer de la libertad y el encuentro con el mundo y con sí mismo; destacan valores como el apego familiar, la independencia, el etnocentrismo, el cambio de paradigmas, nuevas experiencias, superación profesional, entre otros, los cuales enmarcan un ethos tradicional/liberador.CONACY

Integrating Decision Aids to Enhance the Sensemaking Process of Online Information Consumers in Social Media

With the increase in the number of online review websites, electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) has become a vital information source for consumers. People share their views on the Internet in different forms from blogs to reviews on various websites. At the same time, people prefer to remain anonymous or use fake virtual identities for reasons extending from privacy to enjoyment. This freedom afforded by anonymity has led people to write posts without fully considering the potential consequences of their actions. Moreover, there is increasing concern about the trustworthiness of such posts as there is typically no editorial process for verification of their authenticity and has the potential to be unreliable and false. The initial study investigated the effects of decision aids in the form of reaction to a post and the nature of the posts on how people make sense of information and then make decisions based on anonymous posts. The study used a scenario of a user looking at reviews of a café and a fall concert and employed a 3 (reaction to a post-- no reaction, thumbs up and thumbs down) * 2 (nature of the posts-- supporting and non-supporting) between subjects experimental design. This study primarily investigated the level of trust, the likelihood of completing a particular scenario and the confidence level in the decision using 189 participants. The results indicated that a thumbs up reaction exhibited some effect, improving the decision making slightly; however, it was not significantly different compared to no reaction. On the other hand, the thumbs down reaction made the decision making more difficult as well as created uncertainty about the decision made. The second study investigated the effect of incorporating historical data of the user in conjunction with the reaction to a post on the sensemaking process of a user. This study used a similar scenario of a user looking at restaurant reviews and developed a 3 (reaction to a review-- thumbs up, no reaction, thumbs down) * 2 (reputation score-- high and low) * 2 (number of previous reviews-- high and low) * 2 (nature of the reviews-- supporting and non-supporting) * 2 (level of anonymity-- anonymous and non-anonymous reviews, the latter including personal details of the user) mixed experimental design. This study primarily investigated the response to the choice question about whether or not to go to the restaurant, the level of trust in the information, the likelihood of going to the restaurant and the confidence level in the decision using 200 participants. The results found that reputation scores complemented the reaction to a review, improving the trust in the information and confidence in the decision made. Users presented with a supporting review with thumbs up reaction and a high reputation had the highest scores on the dependent variables (DV), while supporting reviews with a thumbs down reaction and low reputation had the lowest. When the participants read a non-supporting review with a thumbs down reaction, they decided to go the restaurant although they were not confident in their decisions. Based on the results from the studies, we believe incorporating a user rating scale such as reputation scores could help in controlling the authenticity of the posted information and could also reduce false or biased reviews

Hackers gonna hack: investigating the effect of group processes and social identities within online hacking communities.

Hacking is an ethically and legally ambiguous area, often associated with cybercrime and cyberattacks. This investigation examines the human side of hacking and the merits of understanding this community. This includes group processes regarding: the identification and adoption of a social identity within hacking, and the variations this may cause in behaviour; trust within in the social identity group; the impact of breaches of trust within the community. It is believed that this research could lead to constructive developments for cybersecurity practices and individuals involved with hacking communities by identifying significant or influencing elements of the social identity and group process within these communities. For cybersecurity, the positive influence on individual security approaches after the hacker social identity adoption, and the subsequent in-group or out-group behaviours, could be adapted to improve security in the work place context. For individuals involved in the communities, an increase in the awareness of the potential influences from their adopted social identities and from other members could help those otherwise vulnerable to manipulation, such as new or younger members. Further discussion on such information, as well as historical examples, will lead to informed behaviour by these communities. Whilst this may not cause the group behaviour to change, it would ensure there would be understanding and acceptance of consequences to unethical or illegal actions, which is hoped to discourage cybercriminal behaviour. The research employed a mixed methods approach, with online questionnaires and individual participant interviews. This approach primarily utilised the netnographic approach (Kozinets, 2015), with the results providing more qualitative information than originally anticipated. Informal data collection for this research included observation of relevant websites and forum discussions as well as observation at hacking related conferences; the subsequent surveys and interviews were conducted with volunteers from these communities. Formal data collection was initiated through a pilot study, carried out in early 2016, with 44 participants. This was followed by the first study survey in early 2017, completed by 155 participants. The second study was individual interviews, conducted with 14 participants throughout 2017. These interviews were analysed in the context of Social Identity Theory (Tajfel, 1974). The third and final study was another survey, conducted early 2018 with 197 participants. Thematic analysis was conducted on all data. There was limited evidence of manipulation of group process or trust observed in forums or reported by participants. The adoption of a specific social identity does have strong and influential behavioural norms; however, the adoption of a specific social identity category does not prevent individuals from identifying and confirming to multiple categories which may use or accept different behaviours. The majority of particiapnts in these studies appeared to position themselves as positive deviants, acknowledging past or minor “black-hat” behaviour. This work contributes to the development and improvement of methodologies in online environments: this research was exploratory in accessing a hard to reach demographic that is often untrusting of outsiders. Adaptions to ethical procedures ensured complete anonymity for the participants, improving the participant recruitment rate. Key findings from this research demonstrate that hacking communities can be very positive and supportive for their members, functioning primarily as meritocracies. This is regarded by the communities as an important positive trait, in conjunction with online anonymity. The conclusions of this research consistently support the findings of previous studies