deconstructing message boards

[zefrank]

i'd be interested on your thoughts.


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often when things get hairy on the board, i see more posts that tell the community to "calm down", and "not take this so seriously" - that its "only a message board".

in physical space i've only seen this used as a tension breaker in gaming environments - bowling parties, pool tables, dart leagues etc... (try saying something similar in an argument with someone you love..."come on honey...its only a relationship")

the play quality of the board functions on a few levels. it reduces the entry cost to posting for new members. its easy to post in an ironic thread about david hasselhof (who i saw in heathrow recently). you can add value to the conversation by following the simple rules of the game without knowing the overall social structure of the environment.

once you become a regular player you enter into the community of players. i would argue that this is no longer a play space, but a hierarchical social environment that is "serious".