Remuneration, as defined on page 7 of Design to Thrive- "Its simplest formulation basically says that people need to believe that they will obtain some positive return on the investment of their time and energy in order to be attracted to participation in a community. Individuals will not become members of a social network unless there is a clear benefit for doing so."
In chapter four of Design to Thrive, Howard discusses the topic of 'remunerating users through adverstisments' and uses the example from Digg. I found this project to be really interesting and a challenge for marketers. Digg employees were working to make the website a more inviting and welcoming atmosphere for people who are interested in whatever Digg has to offer. Through challenging the marketers of the advertisements, Digg opened up a new look to the online community that they created. Also, I think through the change in advertisements, Digg encouraged social experience, like talked about on page 51.
I found the blue text box- The Roots of "Community"-on page 55 really interesting. The word 'community' and 'remuneration' work hand it hand and both play off of the same idea. In community, people are called to act in togetherness and usually towards one goal. A community has "an obligation to repay a duty." Remuneration also has an almost identical meaning attached to it. So through successful social media, a community should be created, which automatically incorporates remuneration because the two work together to create the whole.
I think you did a good job of highlighting the concept of remuneration because it is so fundamental to the success of these communities and social networking sites that we are examining in class. I never thought about “why” I was a part of these online social networks before this class and reading through RIBS: remuneration really stood out to me. Why does anyone do anything? Because it benefits them in some way, shape, or form. The benefits vary greatly, but there is always something there. I like how you used the site Digg to flesh out the concept a bit more.
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