title: Narratives of online collaborative experiences: Leaders and lurkers

authors: Janson, Annick

abstract: The purpose of this research was to unpack the reasons why people engage in varying levels of online collaboration in a self selected group. The research investigated (I) the role of online interaction platforms, (2) participants' perceived constraints on, and enablers of online collaboration in order to answer the main research question on (3) how leaders and lurkers deconstructed the online experiences underlying their differing participation levels. 
An action research methodology was adopted to study how a virtual group evolved. Four iterations of the action research cycle, each building on previous learning, describe the online group's activities "following the actors" through the emergence and establishment of the online actor-network. 
Participants adopted a distributed email listserve to support initial online group collaboration and a web-based discussion forum to grow the actor-network. Thematic analysis of postings outlined seven main themes, translated as either constraining (time and trust), or enabling online collaboration (beliefs on the value of networking, success aspirations, community belonging, communication channels, storytelling and online trust building). 
A narrative framework was developed to collect and analyse participants' stories and motives. Self-selected leaders and lurkers constructed different online practice. In narrative terms, leaders experienced most 'unique outcomes' by experiencing and storying online communication skills previously unknown to them. Additionally, leaders emphasised 'social entrepreneurship' motivation to contribute towards their country's growth and proposed 'temporal virtual consultations' as an alternative to conventional conceptions of online groups. 
Lurkers, on the other hand, were divided about the value of 'virtual networking' in extending business networks. A novel lurking experience was coined 'silent commitment' describing reluctance to participate online contrasting with high face to face involvement. 
A 'virtual leadership' model was developed integrating the findings to illustrate the contribution of individual self-selected virtual leaders in building social capital. This model illustrates how virtual leaders built online collective capacity constructing an 'archetypal' online narrative.

text: Narratives of online collaborative experiences: Leaders and lurkers The purpose of this research was to unpack the reasons why people engage in varying levels of online collaboration in a self selected group. The research investigated (I) the role of online interaction platforms, (2) participants' perceived constraints on, and enablers of online collaboration in order to answer the main research question on (3) how leaders and lurkers deconstructed the online experiences underlying their differing participation levels. 
An action research methodology was adopted to study how a virtual group evolved. Four iterations of the action research cycle, each building on previous learning, describe the online group's activities "following the actors" through the emergence and establishment of the online actor-network. 
Participants adopted a distributed email listserve to support initial online group collaboration and a web-based discussion forum to grow the actor-network. Thematic analysis of postings outlined seven main themes, translated as either constraining (time and trust), or enabling online collaboration (beliefs on the value of networking, success aspirations, community belonging, communication channels, storytelling and online trust building). 
A narrative framework was developed to collect and analyse participants' stories and motives. Self-selected leaders and lurkers constructed different online practice. In narrative terms, leaders experienced most 'unique outcomes' by experiencing and storying online communication skills previously unknown to them. Additionally, leaders emphasised 'social entrepreneurship' motivation to contribute towards their country's growth and proposed 'temporal virtual consultations' as an alternative to conventional conceptions of online groups. 
Lurkers, on the other hand, were divided about the value of 'virtual networking' in extending business networks. A novel lurking experience was coined 'silent commitment' describing reluctance to participate online contrasting with high face to face involvement. 
A 'virtual leadership' model was developed integrating the findings to illustrate the contribution of individual self-selected virtual leaders in building social capital. This model illustrates how virtual leaders built online collective capacity constructing an 'archetypal' online narrative.

year: 2005

title: The new find mine at Waiorongomai

authors: Hart, Philip

abstract: Hone Werahiko and his party, who owned the original New Find claims, undertook the preliminary development of what was universally praised as a valuable property. The large outcrop and the highest levels, driven through steep and rough country, were relatively easy to work, but were high above the county tramway. Encouraging sampling was proved to be correct when crushing commenced, leading to further development, with a series of new levels and connections between the same being driven. But despite hopes of establishing a permanently profitable mine, over time the financial returns declined, particularly because of excessive battery costs and a treatment process that lost an unacceptable percentage of the gold. As the mine workings became larger, incoming water and poor ventilation created problems for miners. To reduce costs, contractors increasingly replaced wages men, but by 1886, with output declining, more efforts were made to lower costs further.
The New Find Company would pay more dividends than any other company on this field. As usual, it was under-capitalized, and as the mine declined so did the share values. Observers urged it to erect its own battery rather than just provide work for the Battery Company, which, after the company collapsed in 1887, acquired its property. The new owners did more development, but, as most of the free-milling ore had been extracted, mining stopped in 1889. Subsequent owners did some more work, but, lacking capital, they sought (and obtained) a small amount of government assistance. Mining revived, briefly, during the boom of 1895, and although there were subsequent plans to reopen the ground it remained abandoned.  
The nature of the mine, with its 100-metre deep stope open to the sky, meant some accidents, but none were fatal.

text: The new find mine at Waiorongomai Hone Werahiko and his party, who owned the original New Find claims, undertook the preliminary development of what was universally praised as a valuable property. The large outcrop and the highest levels, driven through steep and rough country, were relatively easy to work, but were high above the county tramway. Encouraging sampling was proved to be correct when crushing commenced, leading to further development, with a series of new levels and connections between the same being driven. But despite hopes of establishing a permanently profitable mine, over time the financial returns declined, particularly because of excessive battery costs and a treatment process that lost an unacceptable percentage of the gold. As the mine workings became larger, incoming water and poor ventilation created problems for miners. To reduce costs, contractors increasingly replaced wages men, but by 1886, with output declining, more efforts were made to lower costs further.
The New Find Company would pay more dividends than any other company on this field. As usual, it was under-capitalized, and as the mine declined so did the share values. Observers urged it to erect its own battery rather than just provide work for the Battery Company, which, after the company collapsed in 1887, acquired its property. The new owners did more development, but, as most of the free-milling ore had been extracted, mining stopped in 1889. Subsequent owners did some more work, but, lacking capital, they sought (and obtained) a small amount of government assistance. Mining revived, briefly, during the boom of 1895, and although there were subsequent plans to reopen the ground it remained abandoned.  
The nature of the mine, with its 100-metre deep stope open to the sky, meant some accidents, but none were fatal.

year: 2016

title: Recognising the negative impacts of aquatic weed management: Okawa Bay, Lake Rotoiti case study

authors: Scholes, Paul

abstract: The Te Arawa Rotorua Lakes Programme continues to implement measures to maintain and restore lake water quality in line with trophic level indices (TLI’s) for respective lakes. In Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti this has also meant not only reducing nutrients to and in the lakes but also managing periodic cyano-bacterial (blue-green) algal blooms.
Restoration measures in the Rotorua and Rotoiti catchments have included land use management efforts to arrest nutrient inputs; diversion of Lake Rotorua waters from entering Rotoiti; sewage reticulation of lakeside communities; and treatment of inflows
with aluminium sulphate (alum). While restoration efforts have produced water quality gains in both lakes, in recent years, cyano-bacterial blooms have occurred in the shallow embayment of Lake Rotoiti, known as Okawa Bay.
These water quality gains have not come without a cost. Submerged aquatic weeds such as Hornwort are an increasing problem in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes and significant resources are needed to manage infestations primarily for aesthetic and recreational
amenity. Control of exotic aquatic weed is mostly with application of herbicide. Herbicide treatment leaves a decomposing biomass in the waterbody, potentially increasing the nutrient status.
We examine the impact aquatic weed decomposition has had on Okawa Bay’s nutrient status and the cyano-bacterial blooms over recent summers, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s response to reduce localised bloom development.

text: Recognising the negative impacts of aquatic weed management: Okawa Bay, Lake Rotoiti case study The Te Arawa Rotorua Lakes Programme continues to implement measures to maintain and restore lake water quality in line with trophic level indices (TLI’s) for respective lakes. In Lakes Rotorua and Rotoiti this has also meant not only reducing nutrients to and in the lakes but also managing periodic cyano-bacterial (blue-green) algal blooms.
Restoration measures in the Rotorua and Rotoiti catchments have included land use management efforts to arrest nutrient inputs; diversion of Lake Rotorua waters from entering Rotoiti; sewage reticulation of lakeside communities; and treatment of inflows
with aluminium sulphate (alum). While restoration efforts have produced water quality gains in both lakes, in recent years, cyano-bacterial blooms have occurred in the shallow embayment of Lake Rotoiti, known as Okawa Bay.
These water quality gains have not come without a cost. Submerged aquatic weeds such as Hornwort are an increasing problem in the Rotorua Te Arawa Lakes and significant resources are needed to manage infestations primarily for aesthetic and recreational
amenity. Control of exotic aquatic weed is mostly with application of herbicide. Herbicide treatment leaves a decomposing biomass in the waterbody, potentially increasing the nutrient status.
We examine the impact aquatic weed decomposition has had on Okawa Bay’s nutrient status and the cyano-bacterial blooms over recent summers, and Bay of Plenty Regional Council’s response to reduce localised bloom development.

year: 2015