I came across a very interesting PDF: Online Community Members are Real People Too; Focus on Users
Introduction: In our busy roles as community managers, we often forget that all our efforts are really centred on one thing: allowing and encouraging users to have communal experiences on our sites. We spend a lot of time talking about, and dealing with, problem users. We look at new technologies and try to work with our technical teams to support them. We cut deals with third parties to provide prizes for competitions or links in exchange for advertising placements. It’s all part of the job we’ve chosen, but let’s not forget those who justify our employment: the users.
The Internet was developed initially as a research network, so it’s no surprise that there now thousands of social scientists and social commentators researching Online Communities and Life Online. This presentation is just a taste of that research and will provide examples of how Online Community professionals can use the work of researchers to improve the way they conceptualise, build and administrate online communities.
This presentation will begin to answer the following questions: What is "Online Community"?
What are people doing in online communities?
What user trends can help us plan for the future?
What research resources are available?