A conceptual framework for demographic groups resistant to online community interaction

Demographic groups normally do not constitute communities. However they have the potential for becoming online communities when individuals share common interests, needs and goals for problem solving and support and when they can easily find and communicate with each other and establish relationships. People in these demographic groups may be highly resistant to interacting online despite their regular use of the Internet for information gathering and email. The causes for this resistance, suggestions for mitigating it and approaches for bringing such demographic groups into online community environments and sustaining their online interaction are presented. The article describes a study of a demographic group of mid-life career changers. Suggested improvements in online community sociability and usability are recommended for these demographic groups to successfully interact online. In particular, the sociability and usability requirements of these demographic groups should direct the selection and implementation of technology.