Churn in Social Networks: A Discussion Boards Case Study

Churn has been identified as an important issue in a wide range of industries. In social networks, churn represents a significant risk for the health and functioning of communities. However, the importance and actual meaning of churn in social networks is almost unexplored. This work provides a general view on these issues and discusses aspects that are especially relevant to discussion boards. We provide a broad literature review on “traditional” churn analysis and prediction and highlight the specialities of churn in social networks. We further present an empirical analysis of a churn definition particularly appropriate for discussion boards and propose future research directions for predicting churn in social networks, focusing on the importance of social roles, influence and influence diffusion.