Diplomacy in Cyberspace

Aleks KrotoskiUniversity of Surrey

The Guardian

So people are playing games. So what?

• People are gathering in these spaces• People are communicating with one

another• People are developing meaningful

relationships• People are creating new understandings

• People are participating

But before we get ahead of ourselves…

• The differences between online and offline:– Anonymity– Physical appearance– Physical proximity– Greater transience (more weak ties)– Absence of social cues

So how can the interactions in cyberspace be

meaningful ?

• In traditional definitions of “community”, there’d be no such thing in cyberspace– How can you develop meaningful relationships

with people you’ve never met?

It’s been happening for years

• These virtual worlds are the places which the online communities are tied to

So how does it happen?

• Virtual worlds are designed that way – people must rely upon one another to survive and advance

• Anonymity becomes Pseudonymity

• Whatever role trust plays in offline communities, it plays in online communities because these interactions are human-bound

This is where things get interesting

• Incorporating real-world ritual into the virtual

• Commemorating real-world events• A non-official policing force in a space

where an official police are absent• Representational government for the

people by the people• Judicial systems• Thriving economies worth tens of

millions of USD

So what does this mean for public diplomacy?

• These spaces integrate the functionality of the internet, the creativity enabled by digital media and the collaborative possibilities offered in the networked age

• They are integrated and immersive media platforms which encourage active participation, collaboration and innovation

• They extend traditional information access, and support new ways of creating exchanges and experiences for a global population

Some people have chosen to study them

Others have chosen to use them

• Charities– Global Kids– UNICEF– American Cancer

Society– Childline

• Political Parties– John Edwards 08– National Front– UKIP

• Governments– Sweden– The Netherlands

• N/GOs– Centre for Disease

Control– NOAA– World Economic Forum

So how do you do it?

• It’s very easy. It just takes a bit of planning. The most important thing to remember is that it all comes back to the community

– What are their social norms?– What can you provide which offers value?– What can you provide which offers the

community a stake in how and where you’ll fit into the social landscape?

In sum

• Virtual environments are thriving worlds populated by tens of millions around the world

• They simulate and stimulate• People are motivated to participate• And if you want to get involved, you

must too

Thank you

Aleks Krotoski

aleks@toastkid.comhttp://

www.toastkid.com