This is the dark side of the network of trust that will come up in later chapters, but it is not limited to the Net itself. There are two other important lessons. First, as more and more of our communications are mediated by computer, AOL's online hazing experience shows how vital it is that the influence of system design on human behavior be examined and understood. Different cultures develop in cyberspace in part because of the technology that supports them. The WELL has a system design that fosters highly structured discourse by allowing no threading within a topic, forcing a would-be participant to read through to the end of the discussion before adding his or her thoughts.
Repetition is therefore rare.
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