Closed Communities

Walled Gardens
Context:
Imagine you are a member of a national society, which has an online presence for its members in the form of e-mail lists.  Only members of the society are allowed to join the lists, read e-mails coming from the list, and send e-mails to it.  You know:

  •     Andrew via the e-mail list only
  •     Bill via the e-mail list at first but he lives close by, so you’ve met up in the pub a couple of times
  •     Cassandra you knew before, and she was the one who encouraged you to join the society
  •     Derek you know from University, before you joined the society
  •     Ericka you met in the society, and then later elsewhere
  •     Frederick you know through the society, and he lives in the same town as you
  •     Gerald holds a position of authority in the society, although he isn’t in charge
  •     Harriet is someone you dislike

You read your mail one afternoon, and one of the e-mails is an angry diatribe, targeting those currently in charge of the society.  For each of the above people in turn, assume they were the person who sent the e-mail.
1)    How does sending the e-mail change the DI of the sender?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

2)    How does it change the DI of the target?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

3)    How does it change the DI of the society internally?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

4)    What impact does it have on relationships outside of the society?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

5)    How do you respond to it?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

6)    What can be done to mitigate the effects?
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________