Evolving Communities and Digital Self-Organization
Based on the provided quotes, one can assume that the future of the regulars' community—similar to that existing on the Answers Mail.ru portal—is connected with the process of self-organization and independent evolution. According to one participant, communities that have been active for several years are capable of gradually transitioning to self-regulation without strict oversight from “above.” As noted in one of the statements, “Your forum has been in existence for several years now; it is currently a sprawling communication system, one of the most prominent thematic platforms of Runet. From the very beginning, you appeared far less frequently than the regular users on the forum.
Do you like that the forum bears your name, or do you feel it truly belongs to you?— I do not feel any proprietary attachment to this forum. I limit my participation in it for many reasons. There is such an enormous amount of information and so many threads and discussions that to work adequately in it would require devoting your entire life to it. In a sense, I let the forum take its own course, suggesting that the Orthodox community self-organize.” (source: link txt). This perspective underlines that even if active leadership gradually recedes to the background, it is the internal dynamics and collective efforts of the participants that can ensure the preservation and further development of the community.Another comment illustrates how forms of communication on the internet are evolving: “We started with emails, which at first seemed to be just a special kind of delivery for ordinary letters. But very soon, expressions like ‘kisses to everyone in this chat’ and ‘author, write more’ dispelled these illusions: this is a completely unique form of communication, neither written nor spoken, with its own set of laws and peculiarities, and it is still in the process of formation. Perhaps a hundred years from now these ‘kisses’ and ‘authors’ will look as archaic as today’s formulas such as ‘please accept the assurances of my utmost respect’…” (source: link txt). This highlights that communication within such communities is in a constant state of evolution and change. The ongoing search for new forms of interaction and adaptation to emerging technologies may contribute to the continued development of the community, even as its participants change and new generations of users join.Thus, the outlook for the development and existence of regulars on the Answers Mail.ru portal seems quite optimistic: even without obvious centralized authority, internal self-organization, adaptation to changing conditions, and a wealth of discussion threads may become the keys to the long-term existence and development of this community.