Computer-mediated communication as a virtual third place: building Oldenburg’s great good places on the world wide web

Abstract

The sociologist Ray Oldenburg coined the term ‘third place’ or ‘great good places’ to describe the public spaces used for informal social interaction outside of the home and workplace. Oldenburg’s conceptualization has been used consistently to describe the communication of computer-mediated contexts such as chatrooms and multi user environments. This analysis examines the accuracy, utility and potential pitfalls of Oldenburg’s concept for computer-mediated communication scholarship. Further, it offers the necessary conditions for creating viable ‘virtual’ third places on the world wide web. Finally, it identifies directions for continued research as well as theoretical implications for scholars interested in digital communication technologies.