Final Presentation Research Post #3 from Dawson Smith

 Quora’s Cultural and Practices


Quora is a question-to-answer based website, this means that the production of information is dependent on social interaction. Objectively Quora’s mission is to connect the people who have knowledge to the people who need it, to bring together people with different perspectives. Social affordances in social media often surround the impact information can have and how it can be distributed. In applying Graham Meikle's understanding of capitalizing on the affordances of social media, Quora infrastructure reached their selling point because social interaction was taking place and information was accessible. The platform provides a social environment that is developed through the building blocks of communication and sharing alone. Therefore, being for the cultural and social practices Quora desired.

(Cuofano, 2022)

As a result of this, the communication style was sharing information through knowledge. This practice not only worked for individuals but also was functional for groups of various sizes. Quora’s configuration of social practices and understandings set the framework for the business model to come to life. Jean Burgess and Nancy K. Baym comprehensions of Twitter’s culture can be applied to Quora; “[...] evolved as a technology, a company, and a culture, from its origins as a personal messaging service to its transformation into one of the most globally influential social media platforms, where history and culture is not only recorded but written in real time” (Burgess & Baym, 2020). The shared knowledge and understanding that was taking place within Quora’s platform was influential because it was not only an individual platform but also, an extension of Google Search. This allowed for real time information to be shared at a global level. Bringing forth Baym argues that although “qualities of media affect what we can use them to do in relationships…social influences are also essential in shaping how we use new media” (148). The type of relationships, personality styles and cultural norms together determine our use of online media in building and maintaining relationships” (Summary: Nancy K. Baym's “Digital Media in Relational Development and Maintenance” (Revised), 2013). Hence, how Quora reaches their desire for breaking the ideological influencing power of hegemonic structures of one individual and/or group having the knowledge over others to grant them power. Moreover, reshaping the ideological view of knowledge is power, this is deconstructed as these practices make knowledge accessible to all on whatever desired topic or discourse.












References

Baym, N. K., & Burgess, J. (2020). Introduction. In Twitter: A Biography. New York University Press.

Burgess, J., & Baym, N. K. (2020, April). Twitter: A Biography. Microsoft. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/publication/twitter-a-biography/

Cuofano, G. (2022, October 9). How Does Quora Make Money? Quora Business Model Explained. FourWeekMBA. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://fourweekmba.com/quora-business-model/

Summary: Nancy K. Baym's “Digital Media in Relational Development and Maintenance” (Revised). (2013, March 29). New Media Genres. Retrieved December 8, 2022, from https://newmediagenres.org/2013/03/29/summary-nancy-k-bayms-digital-media-in-relational-development-and-maintenance-revised/

Meikle, G. (2016). Chapter 1: What Are Social Media? In Social Media: Communication, Sharing, and

            Visibility. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group.

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