Control system in Internet communities (by example of Tomsk torrent forums)

The objective of this article is to describe some important characteristics of inner control mechanisms of the Internet community. The author uses an example of two Tomsk torrent forums - the mass one with more than 150000 users and the elitist one with 30 active participants. To identify these characteristics the author conducted a sociological research on the basis of in-depth personal interviews and participant observation. The study highlights are:1..The technical structure of any Internet forum built around exchange of multimedia information is determined by certain qualifications necessary for the entry into the community, that is the user must have a minimum set of technical skills to be able to use the computer for interaction, and be proficient in the torrent technology.2..Both forums do possess well-developed systems of regulations and agents of control - moderators and administrators.The mass Internet community is characterized by the externally applied norms, for example, ostracism, verbal taboos, and technical sanctions. The regulatory system is more formal here (rules are recorded in specialized topics and are obligatory for all concerned), but it is constructed in such a way that the sectors of formal and informal control are not inconsistent (which is often the case with a larger community), but complementary to each other. The elitist Internet community is characterized by the dominance of internally applied norms, means of self-control, complementarity, as well as by recognition of each user's right to make decisions, etc. The formal rules, largely missing within elite internet group, reflect only the technical nuances of interaction within the community, while the functions of moderators and administrators are kept for the purpose of technical maintenance of multimedia material. Substantially, the purpose of control mechanisms of the elite is protection from profane outsiders and maintenance of higher standards of the resources content. The systems of regulation used within both communities seriously stimulate complementarity and altruism, as well as accumulation of cultural and other forms of capital. Moreover, the forms of control and self-control within the Internet community adjust to the internal dynamics and the outside environment and constantly mutate. Such changes represent a natural process, not constrained by bureaucratic formalities, and therefore always reflect the real needs of the Internet community.

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