Making Online Bulletin Board Dialogues Work: Conversation Design for Building Knowledge Networks Through Reflective Practices

Abstract

This chapter introduces Online Bulletin Board Dialogues (OBBDs). It focuses on how to making dialogues work. Besides, in this study, the strategies and principles of conversation design based on Media Richness Theory is discussed to generate a theoretical framework that conversation design. This framework shows that the new ways of adjusting democratic conversations to contemporaneous realities. OBBDs are influenced of several things, such as political pressures, personal aspirations, etc., the desire to exercise power, the overriding issues of global need and ambition. On the other hand, OBBDs build on shifting sands or unfirm earth of feelings and interests. The author hopes that making OBBDs work can help online communication workers find the diverse resources, multicultural experiences, and egalitarian opportunities that open their minds and broaden their perspectives. Furthermore, discussing the main characteristics of bulletin boards for building knowledge networks can construct very powerful paradigm shifts to build online communities with new communication technologies.