Just to clarify, our study has several goals. We do want to create a wiki that can be used for continued study of online communities but can also provide a resource, and so in one sense we merely paying for content to get it off the ground. However, we will also be looking at the type of information users feel most compelled to contribute. This is the first part of a series of studies which will be looking at why users contribute certain kinds of information and not others. This research is funded by the National Science Foundation and has been approved by an Institutional Review Board, and the design and goals of this research has strong merit. I encourage your participation. Thank you.

Jacob Solomon
Research Assistant
Department of Telecommunications, Information Studies and Media
Michigan State University

: I can allow for how it might be research, but, it seems a flawed
: notion, especially for someone studying online
: communications/communities. These communities are mostly
: organic. They exist because interested parties filled a need. If
: there was need for another outlet for kayakers, someone in the
: community would fill it. An outsider can't just pop into a
: community with, "Here's something you need, now get with
: it."