Sylvan, Elisabeth. The sharing of wonderful ideas: Influence and interaction in online communities of creators. Diss. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2007.

This thesis introduces the concept of Online Communities of Creators (OCOCs) as platforms where sharing personal creations is the primary activity, significantly contributing to the Creative Society by fostering creativity, sharing, and learning among members. It applies Everett Rogers' diffusion of innovation framework to understand how ideas spread within OCOCs, mapping community behaviors to stages of innovation adoption. Through a mixed-methods study of two specific OCOCs, the Computer Clubhouse Village and the Scratch online community, the research explores forms of participation, network diffusion of ideas, individual adoption of ideas, and the identification of influential members, highlighting OCOCs' role in personal development and modern workplace participation.