6.1 Hunting the Leviathan in CKI

There are a number of online groups that allow members to form some type of group identity and participate in online discussions whether they are synchronous or asynchronous. One such group exists on the Circle K International (CKI) website. CKI is an international organization for college students to perform service, develop leadership, and celebrate fellowship. On the CKI website there is a member forum that allows members to post and share ideas with one another from around the globe.

In the member forum there is a general air of professionalism and respect. Although the language isn’t necessarily formal throughout all of the various threads, it still has a degree of professionalism by using terms associated with the organization, referring to various members by the title/position that they hold in the organization, and by keeping all of the topics related to CKI. Secondly, all of the posts adhere to the norm of remaining respectful and by phrasing any issues as constructive criticism.

These two norms are not clearly stated anywhere on the membership forum; they need to be learned by the members who post. This forum has been a part of the CKI website since the 90’s and it seems to have remained pretty consistent with these two norms over time. According to the Social Identity Deindividuation Effect (SIDE) Theory members of an online group are most likely to conform when a group identity is salient and they are visually anonymous. These two elements are both present on the CKI member forum. First, you need to login with your CKI Member ID number to gain access to the forum; serving as a reminder that this forum is part of this organization or group that you are a part of. Also, once you’re on the forum the logos and other images associated with CKI are clearly visible again reinforcing the idea that you are a part of a group. Secondly, you are most likely not with another individual posting on the forum when you make your post, increasing your visual anonymity. Furthermore, most members posting on the forum do not know one another personally; although some may have met for a few moments at our annual International Convention, it’s safe to assume that the members posting are mostly visually anonymous. Because the group identity is salient and the members are visually anonymous they are much more likely to conform to the two main norms for the membership forum.

These two norms seem to be strictly adhered to by most of the members posting on the forum. As Wallace argues in chapter four, we as individuals of an online group often have to act as the leviathan to enforce these norms by continuing to set a good example by conforming to these norms of professionalism and respect. However, there are times when individuals break ranks with the group and violate on of these norms. Interestingly in these cases the individual attacking a post knows the person who had made the original post; making them visually identifiable rather than anonymous. Also, it seems in these flaming posts that the individual has lost site of the goals and intentions of the organization, suggesting that their individual identity is much more salient than their group identity. This is exactly what SIDE theory predicts when individual identity is salient and when individuals are visually identifiable, they are least likely to conform to the group norms.

In some of the more extreme violations of the norms one the CKI International President (another college student who is elected at International Convention) has stepped in and stopped a flaming wars reminding both posters that we should remain constructive in our criticisms and keep a professional air on the forum. The International President also has the ability to lock a topic if he/she feels that it is not appropriate for discussion. However, instances of the International President stepping in to serve as the leviathan are very rare and the norms are fairly strongly adhered to with the members conforming the group norms and acting as the leviathan.

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