Hi all,
I've been a regular on Winterhighland for some time, so am hoping you might be able to help me.
I'm currently at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, USA, as a research fellow, looking at the growth of on line communities, and I thought that I might use Winterhighlanders for some research.So would anyone care to give up a few minutes to tell me WHY you use Winterhighland, what practical benefits you get out of the forums and chat and if you have ever got anything unexpected from WH like meeting up with people on the hill and boarding together etc? And has WH brought more to you than just practical information on conditions ?Do you feel part of a community? Equally if it hasn't I want to know.
I'm working on the premise that on line communities are successful when three things happen...there is a promise ( ie that using the community will benefit you in some way) , that there are the tools to make it happen ( webcams and easy upload of photos ,an easy to join forum etc),and there is a bargain that the information will not be misused or sold.
I'm also interested in people like Lionel, joining in from the Alps and Mummyskier many miles away in Bristol, but still part of the community.What do you get out of it?
I should say that anything you say will be anonymous and I will not be publishing any of this except in a general form.But you might be helping me get my Phd.
Thanks in advance.
My University email address is
charlepa@umich.edu, so direct answers there would be good, or just post here, if Alan does not mind.
I'm off to Boyne Mountain tomorrow for what might be the last runs of the season...its starting to warm up here.
Thanks in advance