Gazan, Rich. "When online communities become self-aware." 2009 42nd Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. IEEE, 2009.

This study examines a pivotal shift in the dynamics of an online community, specifically within a question-answering platform, through long-term participant observation. The critical change occurred when the community's focus transitioned from primarily discussing topical content to concentrating more on the interactions between its members. This shift was prompted by the removal of content restrictions and the introduction of social technologies, leading to a noticeable increase in social content, such as discussions about the behavior and dynamics within the community itself. The findings highlight both positive and negative outcomes of this evolution. Positively, the community experienced heightened participation, enhanced social support, and more open discussions regarding norms and behaviors. Conversely, the shift also led to escalated conflicts, the emergence of rogue behaviors, and increased factionalism among members. This study underscores the complex impact of social dynamics on online community engagement and structure.