Digital Cooperation in Online Communities
Authors
Anastasiia Mironenkova
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This paper investigates the mechanisms that sustain cooperation in online communities by examining how reciprocity, signalling, and decentralised enforcement function in the absence of formal governance. Drawing on microeconomic theory, particularly game theory and public goods analysis, the paper challenges the assumption that rationality or trust are prerequisites for sustained cooperation. Instead, it argues that durable interactions and reputational incentives foster self-policing behaviours, enabling users to share digital goods – such as knowledge and information – despite anonymity and the risk of free-riding. Through a case study of Stack Overflow, the paper demonstrates how gift-like exchanges, identity persistence, and gamified reputation systems encourage participation in environments where repeated interaction and indirect reciprocity prevail. The study also explores the structural and cultural limits of cooperation.
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Authors
Anastasiia Mironenkova
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References:
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