PTT in Close Shot a primary survey of the biggest BBS site in Taiwan Szu Shen 2009 June

What is PTT: A Brief Introduction ˙ biggest BBS site in Taiwan, founded in 1995 ˙ca 1,500,000 registered members now ˙over 20,000 public boards that cover most parts of our daily life ˙major composing group: university students ˙helps to breed pop cultures in Taiwan

˙ biggest BBS site in Taiwan, founded in 1995

˙ca 1,500,000 registered members now

˙over 20,000 public boards that cover most parts

of our daily life

˙major composing group: university students

˙helps to breed pop cultures in Taiwan

the starting page of PTT

Why is PTT Distinctive? 1. A abundant collaboration of online activities ˙boards: not only for information sharing ˙comment function: “tue”, “shi”, “  ” and the “string of comments” ˙other stuff: chat rooms, water balloons, mail box, recreation zone…

1. A abundant collaboration of online activities

˙boards: not only for information sharing

˙comment function: “tue”, “shi”, “  ”

and the “string of comments”

˙other stuff: chat rooms, water balloons, mail box, recreation zone…

part of a long string of comments

Why is PTT Distinctive? 2. Being disguised and being crystal clear ˙a ruling logic of having obscure identity ˙PTT ID ˙being “crystal clear”: being known as who you are in the offline world ˙offline meet-ups ˙weak ties + strong ties

2. Being disguised and being crystal clear

˙a ruling logic of having obscure identity

˙PTT ID

˙being “crystal clear”: being known as

who you are in the offline world

˙offline meet-ups

˙weak ties + strong ties

part of the list of PTT users that are currently online

Why is PTT Distinctive? 3. Absolutely noncommercial ˙its motto from the very beginning ˙volunteers, donations, fundraiser ˙more “naive” compare to KKCity, a largely commercialized BBS site

3. Absolutely noncommercial

˙its motto from the very beginning

˙volunteers, donations, fundraiser

˙more “naive” compare to KKCity, a largely

commercialized BBS site

PTT’s Impacts on the Local Society? Case study #1: “chu yin wen” v.s. the PTT slang ˙the prohibition against “chu yin wen” ˙the Martian language ˙national college entrance exam, 2006 ˙“3Q”, “::>_<::”, “orz” ˙banning and spreading ˙the instrumental role of PTT

Case study #1: “chu yin wen” v.s. the PTT slang

˙the prohibition against “chu yin wen”

˙the Martian language

˙national college entrance exam, 2006

˙“3Q”, “::>_<::”, “orz”

˙banning and spreading

˙the instrumental role of PTT

PTT’s Impacts on the Local Society? Case study #2: let’s buy together! ˙”BuyTogether”: collective purchase ˙amplifies as well as regulates ˙national trend ˙by-products are blooming ˙altering how people buy/sell/make money ˙hostile uses

Case study #2: let’s buy together!

˙”BuyTogether”: collective purchase

˙amplifies as well as regulates

˙national trend

˙by-products are blooming

˙altering how people buy/sell/make money

˙hostile uses

PTT’s Impacts on the Local Society? Case study #3: help me, PTT! ˙several successful rescues ˙due to its popularity ˙real-time updates of comments/posts ˙PTT’s strength in mobilization ˙for better or worse? ˙is the Internet the ultimate surveillance?

Case study #3: help me, PTT!

˙several successful rescues

˙due to its popularity

˙real-time updates of comments/posts

˙PTT’s strength in mobilization

˙for better or worse?

˙is the Internet the ultimate surveillance?

To What Ends is PTT a Valuable Site? While PTT is fundamentally closed… ˙registration needed ˙detailed classification of forums became an accident veil ˙the different navigating system blocks many people out in the first place

While PTT is fundamentally closed…

˙registration needed

˙detailed classification of forums became

an accident veil

˙the different navigating system blocks

many people out in the first place

To What Ends is PTT a Valuable Site? … how to open it up? ˙some not so satisfying attempts: web PTT, RSS ˙BBS only search engine: YouSee ˙the hidden assumption revealed by the failure of YouSee ˙gaaan.com: has copied the whole package but not PTT’s popularity and networks

… how to open it up?

˙some not so satisfying attempts: web PTT, RSS

˙BBS only search engine: YouSee

˙the hidden assumption revealed by the failure

of YouSee

˙gaaan.com: has copied the whole package but

not PTT’s popularity and networks

To What Ends is PTT a Valuable Site? … how to open it up? ˙better job with archiving ˙ranking merchanism ˙fixed corresponding URL for each post in the BBS PTT: referral ˙APIs: PTT + cellphone, PTT + other social media, PTT + …

… how to open it up?

˙better job with archiving

˙ranking merchanism

˙fixed corresponding URL for each post in the

BBS PTT: referral

˙APIs: PTT + cellphone, PTT + other social

media, PTT + …

Before looking forward to the changes.. Some things to bear in mind… ˙possible to follow board tendencies but no fixed patterns ˙regional variations ˙human beings is always the agent ˙be prepared for the unexpected; we are in it but not aside from it

Some things to bear in mind…

˙possible to follow board tendencies but no

fixed patterns

˙regional variations

˙human beings is always the agent

˙be prepared for the unexpected; we are in it but

not aside from it

Many thanks for your attention! Tack så mycket!  Questions? Comments? Complaints?