New Media Cultures

Nancy K. Baym′s Tune In, Log On is an ethnographic study of an Internet soap opera fan group. Bridging the fields of computer-mediated communication and audience studies, the book show how verbal and nonverbal communicative practices create collaborative interpretations and criticism, group humor, interpersonal relationships, group norms, and individual identity. While much has been written about problems and inequities women have encountered online, Baym′s analysis of a female-dominated group in which female communication styles prevail demonstrates that women can build successful online communities while still welcoming male participants. In addition, a longitudinal look at the development of the fan group allows an examination of the endurance of the group′s social structure in the face of the Internet′s tremendous growth. Lively and engaging, Tune In, Log On provides an entertaining introduction to issues of online and audience community.