Online humour as a community-building
cushioning glue
Online humour as a community-building
cushioning glue
Author(s): Vittorio MaroneSubject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Communication studies, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Descriptive linguistics
Published by: Krakowskie Towarzystwo Popularyzowania Wiedzy o Komunikacji Językowej Tertium
Keywords: humour on the Internet; humour in computer-mediated-communication (CMC); discursive functions of humour; online gaming communities; LittleBigPlanet;
Summary/Abstract: This article examines the uses and functions of humour in an online community of gamers and nonprofessional game designers who present and critique user-generated artefacts created with the popular game series LittleBigPlanet. Findings show that participants use humour and “good humour” to achieve a variety of social goals: to veil statements of ability and effort, alleviate negative comments, present user-generated content, attract new players, support other participants, and overall engender a smiling atmosphere that incentives collaboration, peer feedback, and social cohesion. Far from being a trivial ornament, humour emerges as a community building “cushioning glue” that connects, seals, and buffers different gears of computer-mediated interaction, contributing to defining the boundaries and the identity of the analysed online space.
Journal: The European Journal of Humour Research
- Issue Year: 3/2015
- Issue No: 1
- Page Range: 61-83
- Page Count: 23
- Language: English
