CIOS -

Volume 11 Number 2,=20 2001

USER GRATIFICATIONS FROM MEDIA-SPONSORED COMMUNITY BULLETIN=20 BOARDS:
A FIELD TEST OF AN EARLY BBS

Philip J. Auter University of West Florida

Abstract. A computer bulletin board service (BBS) = operated by=20 The Evansville Courier (a Scripps-Howard newspaper) in = 1994 was=20 field-tested on a convenience sample of 1150 people with regular = access=20 to computers and modems in the small, mid-western city of = Evansville,=20 IN. The four-week field-test measured individuals' bulletin = board usage,=20 gathered their impressions of the service, and basic demographic = information. Qualitative and descriptive quantitative results = indicated=20 that most people who owned computers with modems in 1994 were = not yet=20 computer and BBS "literate" enough to want access to these = services.=20 However, a narrow segment of the population =FB in this study = represented=20 by the 1150 participants in the BBS field test =FB were mostly = middle to=20 upper income, well educated, computer and BBS literate = individuals who=20 sought regular access to a BBS operated by a traditional = newspaper.=20 Implications derived from early BBS attempts and today=C6s = web-based local=20 communities are presented.

Introduction

To survive as a business, newspapers need to know who their = audience is=20 =FB and how to keep them in an increasingly complex media market. = No longer=20 do newspapers compete only with TV, radio, and other print media, = they are=20 increasingly losing readers to the Internet. For this reason, many = national and local papers have attempted to develop an online = presence.=20 However, in most cases, newspapers are not sure what the audience = wants,=20 how much they are willing to pay, how much the service will cost = the=20 newspaper, or how a paper=C6s online presence will affect its = print=20 readership.=20

The problems facing today=C6s newspaper industry are not new. = Even before=20 the Internet became a commercial and visual medium, national and = local=20 online services were beginning to attract the attention of the = growing=20 number of consumers with PCs and modems. In the 1980s, a scant few = newspapers began looking into running local bulletin board = services (BBS)=20 as potential ways of increasing market presence =FB and attracting = computer=20 users to the traditional newspaper and its content. This trickle = of=20 newspaper interest became a flood in the mid-1990s =FB ironically = just a few=20 short years before the playing field changed again, with the = introduction=20 of a commercially sponsored visual World Wide Web.=20

As the industry wrestles with these issues, academic = institutions must=20 also determine the effects of new media usage on audiences and the = traditional media so that they can determine how to revise = journalism=20 curricula as well as understand the theoretical implications of = these new=20 channels of communication. How do =F4audience members=F6 use = these=20 services to fulfill a variety of gratifications, including = socialization=20 and information gathering? Does it differ from how they utilize = print=20 media? Is it competitive or complimentary? How do these new=20 technologies effect paths selected to achieve gratifications and = do the=20 gratifications themselves change? Some research has been = performed=20 on these issues, but more needs to be done =FB including = historical work=20 that helps to put current use patterns into perspective. One = valuable way=20 to profile the early adopters of this innovation, and determine = how and=20 why they utilized the service, is from the uses and gratifications = perspective. Utilizing this theoretical framework, the current = paper=20 presents a case study analysis of one of the early attempts at = developing=20 a newspaper-affiliated community BBS.=20

Review of the Literature

Uses and Gratifications=20

Theoretical framework. For the reasons already noted, it = is=20 extremely important that industry and academic professionals know = how and=20 why people would use a computer bulletin board service. The uses = and=20 gratifications paradigm seems well suited to the study of this = emerging=20 communication channel. The seminal definition of uses and = gratifications=20 research has been "the social and psychological origins of needs, = which=20 generate expectations of the mass media or other sources that lead = to=20 differential patterns of media exposure (or engagement in other=20 activities), resulting in need gratifications and other = consequences,=20 perhaps mostly unintended ones" (Katz, = Blumler &=20 Gurevitch, 1974). Palmgreen and Rayburn (1985) = have built upon that in discussing the expectancy-value model of = media=20 usage. They have suggested that service usage is based on user=20 expectations that the service (in this case a BBS) has something = that the=20 user believes is of value to them. Specific gratifications are = sought, and=20 if not met satisfactorily, users move on to other channels to = fulfill=20 their need.=20

Uses and gratifications researchers consider audience members = to be=20 "active" in their media usage =FB even when using more = traditional,=20 "passive" media. Levy and Windahl (1985) = posited a=20 multi-dimensional typology of audience activity in "traditional = media"=20 usage (such as TV viewing or reading print material). They = suggested=20 types of audience activity before, during and after media exposure = in=20 three areas: selectivity, involvement, and utility. In their = model,=20 selectivity is defined as "a process involving the non random = selection of=20 one or more behavioral, perceptual, or cognitive media-related=20 alternatives " (p. 112). Involvement was defined as how = psychologically=20 tied a person is to the media usage experience. Utility refers to = the=20 usage value of the experience.=20

Uses and gratifications research on computer-mediated=20 communication. Uses and gratifications theory has long been = utilized=20 to study mainstream media use =FB such as the motivations behind = TV viewing.=20 As new media channels are developed, scholars have also suggested = the=20 theory=C6s utility for the study of new media use patterns (e.g., = Palmgreen,= =20 1984; Williams,=20 Rice, & Rogers, 1988). In fact, Hunter (1996b)=20 outlined all the user gratifications of the Process Model of Uses = and=20 Gratifications =FB cognitive, affective, personal integrative, = social=20 integrative, and escapist needs =FB and how the World Wide Web = could be=20 utilized to meet those needs.=20

Although uses and gratifications theory may be well suited for = the=20 study of new technology usage, it had been only occasionally = utilized as a=20 framework for studying computer-mediated communication (CMC) until = more=20 recently. A series of U&G studies of new technology use = performed in=20 the late 1970s and early 1980s were reviewed by Williams, = Friedman,=20 Phillips and Lum (1985). = They noted that interactive services (such as the "Qube" cable = experiment=20 and early teletext and videotext) were not nearly as popular as = originally=20 hoped. That research indicated that gratifications obtained by = users=20 include convenience, surveillance and transaction. However, = although=20 these technologies may have provided convenience, the loss of=20 interpersonal interaction was often seen as a strong negative by = some. In=20 their review of prior research, Williams et al. noted that people = were=20 becoming quite attracted to the "socio-emotional" use of computers = in=20 teleconferencing (commonly know today as "chat" mode) and = electronic mail.=20 Emotional/social uses of email might even be a stronger motivation = for=20 usage than task accomplishment. Williams et al. pointed out that = U&G=20 research must expand its focus to look at the new gratifications = that may=20 be generated by using these communication forms.=20

More recent studies have done just that, while continuing to = probe the=20 use of online newspapers as functional alternatives to traditional = media.=20 Perse & Courtright (1993) = found=20 that computers were rated lower than other communication channels = in=20 satisfying media-related needs. However, results of this analysis = did not=20 address how computers and bulletin board services might have = satisfied=20 interpersonal communication needs. Also, although the study was = published=20 in 1993, this analysis was performed in the late 1980s. It is = important to=20 point out that with the rapid advances in hardware, software, and=20 connectivity, it is critical to understand when a study was = actually=20 performed =FB as opposed to when it was published =FB as these = changes may=20 affect user gratifications sought and obtained.=20

In 1996, Hunter (1996a)=20 surveyed 1584 students and 602 faculty and staff at Boston College = to=20 determine what gratifications they were seeking from email, the = Web and=20 Usenet newsgroup services. In the descriptive results, he found = that the=20 majority of those surveyed sought increased communication as well = as=20 information gathering from email and felt that these needs had = been=20 gratified by the service. Those using newsgroups were generally=20 dissatisfied with their experiences and felt they had not been = able to=20 communicate their ideas with a large audience, as they desired.=20 Respondents sought both entertainment and information from the Web = and=20 felt that they had obtained both gratifications.=20

In an exploratory online study of the Prodigy and CompuServe = bulletin=20 boards published in 1995 (survey date not provided), James, = Wotring and=20 Forrest (1995)&nbs= p;=20 found that respondents utilized these services to fulfill = informational,=20 socialization and communication needs. T-test analysis of their=20 convenience sample of 264 respondents also suggested that users = accessed=20 this service at the expense of TV viewing, book reading, talking = on the=20 telephone and letter writing.=20

Mings (1997)=20 conducted a pilot study with 15 volunteers from a WWW class at a=20 Northeastern university (date of activity not specified). Subjects = participated in two online newspaper usage activities for up to a = total of=20 35 minutes while their behaviors were being videotaped and audio = taped.=20 They were also asked questions about their experience by the = researcher.=20 Videotape data was coded for usage behavior and correlated with = survey=20 responses. Preliminary findings suggested that individual = participants=20 utilized print newspapers and online media in much the same ways = =FB e.g.,=20 avoiders avoided both and those who sought information sought it = from=20 both. This suggests that online media may be considered functional = alternatives for traditional newspapers.=20

Perse and Dunn (1998) = applied=20 the U&G perspective to home computer use. In a random national = phone=20 survey of over 1000 households conducted in 1994, the researchers = found=20 that computers were used to fulfill entertainment, escape, habit, = and time=20 passing gratifications. The more =F4connected=F6 a user was, the = more likely=20 they were to use the system for entertainment and escape.=20

Newspaper Online Venture=20

Issues regarding online newspaper development. After a = decade of=20 sitting on the sidelines while a few pioneers experimented with = bulletin=20 board services, nearly all newspapers began to look into going = online in=20 the 1990s. In the early 1990s, News Corp of America (which owns = both print=20 and broadcast facilities) made plans to acquire Delphi Internet = Services,=20 the nation's fifth largest on-line-service. Gannet's Florida = Today=20 had a service on CompuServe. Cox and Times-Mirror planned to put = their=20 services on Prodigy. There was a venture involving IBM and Sears. = And=20 Knight-Ridder and Tribune Company had already provided services on = America=20 On-line, then the nation's third largest and fastest growing = service. In=20 fact, more than 2,700 newspapers were experimenting with one or = another=20 kind of electronic venture in 1994, compared to only 42 in 1989. = Part of=20 the urgency for the experiment was that almost half of young = people 18 to=20 24 years old did not read newspapers at all ("Surge of = Electronic Newspapers," 1994; Staff, = 1993).=20 By 1997, one estimate of the number of online newspapers was = estimated at=20 1591 originating from the U.S. with a global total of 2445 on the = World=20 Wide Web (Editor = &=20 Publisher Co., 1997). Today, it has become very hard to = distinguish=20 between online newspapers, papers with an online presence, = community=20 bulletin boards, information portals, and other Web based = services.=20

One trend at the local level that began in the early 1990s was = for one=20 or more of a community's news media outlets to repackage their = existing=20 material, enhance it with additional information and offer it via = computer=20 bulletin boards. According to Macaraeg, "bulletin board systems = (BBS) were=20 an excellent, economical alternative to large on-line information=20 systems...." (Macaraeg, = 1994,=20 p. 122). However, there was great financial risk in developing = and=20 running a BBS =FB even if the primary goal is to provide a = community service=20 at a break-even cost. Of the over 53,000 computer bulletin boards = in North=20 American in the early-1990s, only 5 percent made a profit and only = 15=20 percent broke even (Baig, = 1993).=20 Clearly, traditional media organizations traveling down this new = road =FB=20 with virtually no experience in delivering information via = computer and=20 modem, or in how to finance such a new venture =FB needed to drive = very=20 carefully (Rafaeli,=20 1990a).=20

The goals of many newspapers attempting to go online were to = capture=20 the young reading audience, make a profit off the venture, and = determine=20 the best way to maintain an online presence as the hardware and = software=20 options changed at a rapid pace. This was a challenge in the = 1990s, and it=20 remains difficult today. Local media outlets still are faced with = this=20 dilemma. Most realized then that in the near future, their markets = would=20 be able to support a regional bulletin board service. Today, these = services not only compete with each other and traditional media, = but also=20 in the global information glut that comprises part of the World = Wide Web.=20 In cities where boards have survived, system adoption rates were = found to=20 be directly related to user participation levels (Rafaeli = &=20 LaRose, 1993).=20

Even if such a bulletin board was provided as a community = service =FB and=20 was designed only to recoup operating costs rather than make a = profit =FB a=20 new entrant into this service system is faced with the daunting = dilemma of=20 deciding what to provide and how to provide it. Services some = might find=20 useful would dissuade other users from participating (Sudweeks = &=20 Rafaeli, 1994). Further, usage will also be related to the=20 "friendliness" of interfaces =FB and access to a variety of "real = people"=20 via the BBS (Rafaeli,=20 1990b).=20

Due to advancement in technology =FB and user expectations =FB = today=C6s=20 electronic newspaper has evolved into something much more complex. = The=20 modern electronic newspaper is characterized by lowered = hierarchical=20 structure and boundaries, more diverse content, merging of news = and data,=20 increased interactivity with readers, increased interconnectivity, = searching capabilities, multimedia capacity, and immediacy (Lee & = So,=20 2000). Because of the added costs and complexities of modern=20 electronic newspapers, thedifficulties faced by newspaper managers = in the=20 mid 1990s are as problematic today =FB if not more so.=20

Not only are the local media outlets faced with this dilemma, = but the=20 colleges and universities that provide the employees for these = media are=20 likewise challenged. Nearly a decade ago, the call was made to = journalism=20 schools to pay more attention to computer-mediated communication = =FB and how=20 to best educate future journalists to work in the coming = multimedia news=20 organizations (Smith, = Kim, &=20 Bernstein, 1993). As bulletin board services evolve into = online=20 newspapers and play a larger role in news distribution, = traditional=20 journalists and media corporations will have to be knowledgeable = enough in=20 this emerging medium in order to compete effectively. Institutions = involved in researching the media's role in society =FB as well as = in=20 training future journalists =FB must also be aware of the role = computer=20 bulletin boards will play in local news. Just as = importantly,=20 though, the new journalist =FB and journalism educator =FB must = understand the=20 makeup of the adopters of these services.=20

Adopters of online newspapers and bulletin board = services.=20 Individuals who traveled the electronic highway in the late 1980s = and mid=20 1990s were primarily "technological innovators" who would quickly = become=20 bored with local movie listings and "flame wars" with local = editorial=20 columnists. Most users of traditional local media at this time = were=20 =F4techno-phobes=F6 who tended to feel uncomfortable obtaining any = information=20 from a computer bulletin board =FB even if it was more convenient = than the=20 traditional methods. It has been shown that many user-oriented = variables=20 affect the likelihood of a board being successful in a community = (Trevino = &=20 Webster, 1992).=20

Actual adopters in the mid 1990s represented a small portion of = people=20 interested in computers and technology. One survey found that 65% = of=20 respondents liked technology, but only 12% had a modem-equipped = computer=20 and only six percent of Americans went on line regularly. = Education and=20 income-level were positive predictors of computer use and = likeability=20 while age was a negative factor (=F4Nationwi= de=20 Survey Finds,=F6 1994). New York-based Newsday = performed a=20 telephone caller survey on their service, Newsday On-line (which = had been=20 in existence since 1985) in 1994. They found that over 78% of = their=20 responding users had at least some college education, with 29% = holding a=20 post-graduate degree. Over 32% were between 35 and 44 years old, = 24% were=20 between 25 and 34, and only 10% were between 18 and 24. Sixty = percent had=20 a household income above $40,000 and 35% had incomes above $60,000 = (J.=20 Garvey, personal telephone conversation and FAX. [Garvey was the = managing=20 editor of Newsday Online.], May 18, 1994).=20

Over the years, various services have met with different = responses. A=20 number of groups have studied the Santa Monica, California Public=20 Electronic Network (PEN) =FB a computer-based communication system = sponsored=20 and maintained by the city beginning in 1989. By the end of the = first year=20 of operation, 2000 residents had registered for the service =FB a = number=20 that grew to over 5000 by 1993. Although the service was used = heavily,=20 most of the use stemmed from a small segment of the registered = individuals=20 (Schmitz et=20 al., 1995). Researchers have found that women were more=20 comfortable adopting this PEN =FB perhaps because of the publicly = accessible=20 terminals =FB than similar services provided in other cities (Collins-Jarvis= ,=20 1993). A 1990 survey found that PEN registrants were typically = managers and professionals with household incomes higher than the = regional=20 average. Two thirds of the respondents were between 30 and 54. = They were=20 found to be more often male than the city population, were more = educated=20 than their peers, and were more interested and active in politics = than the=20 average Santa Monica resident (Schmitz = et=20 al.).=20

Silverstone (1996) = described the individual and societal adoption of a new = information=20 technology as a =F4domestication process.=F6 Technologies = are more=20 readily adopted when they are promoted as =F4user-friendly=F6 =FB = thus reducing=20 somewhat their threat. Still, anxieties about disruption of = security,=20 possible threats to family moral values, and challenges to an = individual=C6s=20 competencies counterbalance advertiser-heightened claims of = utility and=20 ease of use. If they are not cultivated, accepted into the home, = and=20 become valued by users, they are either not adopted at all =FB or = are=20 abandoned soon after adoption.=20

Dutton (1997) = reviewed=20 trials of various new media technologies in the 1980s and mid = 1990s and=20 came to a number of conclusions about how they are adopted and the = makeup=20 of their users. He determined that the public is generally not = interested=20 in technological breakthroughs unless new =F4killer = app(lications)=F6 are=20 developed to utilize the new technology. The public is less = interested in=20 technology that allows for modest improvements in existing = services.=20 However, because new technologies change the way things are done, = even=20 significant improvements may take some time to gain acceptance = with a=20 larger number of users.=20

The public is generally more interested in using new technology = for=20 communication than for information gathering. Also, actual and = perceived=20 costs =FB both in time and money =FB of a new medium affect its = adoption.=20 Finally, various social concerns =FB such as issues of privacy, = freedom of=20 expression, and equity of access =FB affect the long-term = viability of=20 information services.=20

Today this is not so much the case. In an online survey of over = 5000=20 respondents, researchers at Georgia Tech found that the majority = of their=20 sample preferred going on line in 1998 to other traditional media = =FB=20 including print and television (Georgia = Tech,=20 1999). As the Web has become more interwoven, and technology = has=20 become more powerful and user-friendlier, more and more people are = going=20 online. But, the environment is still tough for newspaper = sponsored=20 services because now that have to compete with thousands more = online=20 services.=20

A recent study of audience use of online newspapers found that=20 participants spent almost half of their time at an online = newspaper site=20 viewing news, sports and =F4front page=F6 information (Mings = &=20 Harrison, 2000). However, the types of news that generated = interest=20 were wide =FB with participants accessing as many as 100 different = =F4online=20 newspaper=F6 sites. Contradicting some industry assumptions about = audience=20 interests, participants spent approximately most of their viewing = time on=20 screens composed mostly of text and few graphics and they rarely = accessed=20 archived material.=20

Issues Explored

In 1994 the newspaper industry was just beginning to consider = the pros=20 and cons of managing local bulletin board services =FB the = precursors to=20 today=C6s electronic newspaper websites. At the time, PCs and = online access=20 were the stuff of early adopters and although the World Wide Web = existed,=20 it was mostly text-only and access was mostly limited to = government and=20 academic organizations.=20

This study examined the demographics of potential users of a=20 newspaper-affiliated community BBS in the mid-1990s, how often = they=20 utilized the service, and what features of such a service they = preferred.=20 Using both qualitative and quantitative methods, the study seeks = to=20 provide a good picture of an early newspaper-sponsored online = service =FB=20 and of the people who used it.=20

Method

Research Setting: The Bulletin Board Service=20

A unique opportunity for a case study analysis of a local = online=20 service was provided in 1994 when The Evansville Courier = =FB the=20 primary daily newspaper in the mid-sized mid-western city of = Evansville,=20 Indiana =FB agreed to perform a joint field test of their=20 soon-to-be-released community BBS. In exchange for providing them=20 much-needed user analysis, they agreed to allow additional items = to be=20 added to the study and for the analysis to be presented in a=20 non-proprietary fashion in the academic literature.=20

The Courier On-Line BBS service was readied for a start = date of=20 Monday, July 11, 1994 for a four-week field test in the small, = mid-western=20 city of Evansville Indiana. The Evansville Courier, a=20 Scripps-Howard newspaper that is the newspaper of record in the = community,=20 agreed to the field test of the bulletin board in order to obtain=20 preliminary information on what computer users in Evansville in = 1994 might=20 want from such a service =FB and how much they would be willing to = pay for=20 it.=20

Data gathering began on July 11 and officially ceased on = Sunday, August=20 7=F9although the board remained operational beyond the end of the = test. The=20 service provided text-based national and local news and = information,=20 games, electronic mail (with other service users only), a photo = file,=20 discussion groups, and classified ads. No "display" advertising = existed on=20 the board during the test phase. It was anticipated, based on = prior=20 research in uses and gratifications, that users would fulfill a = variety of=20 needs, including information gathering and social interaction.=20

Participants had free, unlimited access to the board =FB = provided they=20 could log in. The service initially had seven 14,400-baud dialup = modems =FB=20 the fastest available at the time. This was raised to 12 = high-speed modems=20 toward the end of the test phase. The board was primarily text = based =FB=20 with ANSI graphics available. IBM compatible PC users were able to = download a graphics package (RIP Term), which would offer a = Windows-like=20 interface to the BBS. Macintosh users did not have a similar = program=20 available to them.=20

The research strategy was to obtain as many participants as = possible=20 via advertising and thus subjects were self-selected. Data for the = study=20 was obtained by an introductory online survey (its completion was = required=20 to gain site access), raw system-captured usage data that tracked=20 participants=C6 usage patterns, and a voluntary online exit = interview that=20 obtained users=C6 opinions of the site.=20

The sample was obtained by promoting the Evansville = Courier test=20 at several local sites online and in the city newspaper. Within = the first=20 four days of the study, over 250 different people had logged on, = completed=20 the opening survey, and spent some time on the bulletin board. By = the end=20 of the study, more than 1000 people had completed the initial = online=20 survey and had used the service at least once.=20

Measures=20

The measures for this study consisted of a mixture of = quantitative,=20 computer system-captured, and qualitative data. Data were designed = to=20 consist of a mandatory quantitative, opening survey, usage = statistics=20 (generated during board use), and a voluntary qualitative "closing = survey"=20 that was to be filled out just before a subject logged off for = good.=20 Although the sample size for the opening survey was quite large = (n=20 =3D 869), there were many people who found ways to access the = board without=20 completing the initial survey (n =3D 281). There was also a = substantial=20 subject mortality in regard to the closing survey, only slightly = more than=20 200 participants completing the closing survey. The self-selected = nature=20 of the sample, and especially of the closing survey, should be = considered=20 when interpreting the present study.=20

The opening survey. The opening survey provided basic = information about=20 the people who participated in our study and their computer usage. = It=20 contained basic demographics, computer ownership and use, modem = and BBS=20 usage, and computer software usage.=20

Computer system-generated usage data. The Courier = On-Line=20 bulletin board service test ran "non-stop" for four weeks except = for=20 routine maintenance and the occasional system shutdown. (The = longest crash=20 was eight hours.) One change that affected usage data was an = increase in the modem pool. At the beginning of the study, seven = modems=20 were available for dial-up access to Courier On-Line. Due = to the=20 great influx of calls, the pool was increased to 12 lines after = two weeks.=20 In assessing usage data, it seems safe to suggest that a strong = interest=20 in the service early-on was tempered by the trouble some people = had=20 dialing in. The seven lines were nearly always busy, resulting in = a drop=20 off of new users. However, after the additional five lines = were=20 installed, usage increased.=20

The closing survey. Closing surveys were intended to be = filled=20 out just before a respondent logged off the service for the last = time.=20 Thus, they were voluntary. Throughout the fourth week, completion = of the=20 survey became mandatory in order to reenter the board (which = continued to=20 operate after the field test had ended). Once someone finished the = closing=20 survey, they were officially "out of the test" and additional = usage=20 statistics were not tabulated. The closing survey contained both a = quantitative and qualitative measures of what people liked and did = not=20 like about Courier On-Line. More than 200 of the 1150 = participants=20 volunteered their feelings about Courier On-Line and its = various=20 services by answering the final survey during the end of the = fourth week=20 of the test. Respondents discussed their general opinions of the = service=20 and their favorite BBS features. Not everyone discussed each = individual service, but each person made at least one comment.=20

Results

The results of the opening survey, computer system-generated = usage=20 data, and closing survey paint a picture of the adopters of = Courier=20 On-line, their usage habits, and the perceived gratifications = users=20 obtained from the service.=20

User Demographics=20

Demographic data came from the opening survey. Adopters of the=20 Courier On-line service were predominantly middle and = upper-income,=20 with 60% having annual household incomes of at least $40,000 (in = 1994=20 dollars). They were also a relatively well-educated group. = Seventy-eight=20 percent of respondents held an associates degree or higher and at = least=20 40% had a bachelor=C6s degree. Sixty-five percent of the = households=20 contained at least two adults; about half of all households = included=20 children.=20

Respondents=C6 Technology Usage Patterns=20

Information about prior computer and BBS use was gathered from = the=20 opening survey while the computer system-generated data tracked = usage of=20 Courier On-line. Information gathered from the closing = survey=20 allowed respondents to discuss the ease of use of the BBS service = =FB which=20 researchers have found is critical to adoption of = computer-mediated=20 communication.=20

Prior computer ownership and use. Unlike most Americans = in 1994,=20 but typical of early adopters, the majority of respondents (92%) = owned=20 their own computer. The vast majority (84%) had owned their PC for = at=20 least a year: 42% had owned a machine for five or more years. The = majority=20 of the sample (56%) had used a computer for more than five years, = and=20 nearly everyone (92%) had used a PC for at least one year. As = might be=20 expected, 93% had used a modem in the past.=20

Two thirds of this sample had used a bulletin board service for = a year=20 or more and about 42% of those surveyed stated that they often = used=20 electronic mail services. Only 16% of the sample had never used = email=20 before. Sixty-six percent of those surveyed had used national = services=20 such as America On-Line, CompuServe, and Prodigy. However, because = the=20 Internet in 1994 was not very advanced =FB or easily accessible by = most=20 persons =FB many respondents in this study had not worked with it. = Forty-three percent said that they had never used it =FB many of = whom did=20 not even know what it was. Another 30% said they rarely used the = Internet.=20

Usage of Courier On-line.A total of 1150 = different people=20 used the Courier On-line BBS for a total of 4117 hours = during the=20 four-week test period. While on the board, users spent most of = their time=20 conversing with other users. Over half of users=C6 time spent on = the board=20 (57%) was spent using the Teleconference or Chat area. This is=20 interesting, given the concerns some of the system=C6s designers = had over=20 the appropriateness of Teleconference and Chat services on a BBS = run by a=20 newspaper. Sifting through the service=C6s menus and accessing and = reading=20 files (including current stories and archival information) made up = 22% of=20 the time online. Question and answer sessions (including the = opening=20 survey) took 15% of users=C6 time. Participants played games on = this service=20 only three percent of the time and utilized COL=C6s email = service=20 only two percent of the time.=20

Ease of use of Courier On-line. One of the most = important=20 characteristics of the viability of computer-mediated = communication is its=20 ease of use. Researchers have argued that this element could=20 single-handedly affect the likelihood of a service being accepted = or=20 rejected =FB even if the service is perceived as potentially = valuable to the=20 end users. The closing survey asked respondents to categorize = COL=20 as very easy, easy, neutral, hard, or very hard. Of those who = replied,=20 about 50% said that it was hard or very hard to use. Only 20% of = those=20 that replied felt that it was easy to use and another 20% of = respondents=20 were neutral on the issue.=20

Gratifications Obtained from the Service=20

Overall experience. The closing survey, which was = predominantly=20 qualitative in nature, assessed user satisfaction with the = Courier=20 On-line BBS. The respondents as a whole had a very positive = attitude=20 toward this newspaper=C6s venture into cyberspace. Most of them = found the=20 experience very gratifying. One respondent summed up the feelings = of the=20 group quite well:=20

=F4The great advantage of the net is its potential for = re-opening=20 people's channels of communication and expression. Too much of = our=20 national political and philosophical =E6dialogue=C6 is channeled = to us=20 one-way through pre-approved sources; the average person is = lucky to=20 have a voice that travels past the end of his block. The more = technology=20 is available to allow ordinary people, unblessed with the power = to=20 control magazine or broadcast content, the opportunity to be = heard and=20 understood by their peer citizens, the better." =

Although many found the service enjoyable, respondents were = split on=20 their opinion of the service=C6s usefulness. Respondents were = asked to rate=20 the entire service in one of five categories: very useful, useful, = no=20 opinion, useless, very useless. Of those responding, almost 50% = rated the=20 service as useful or very useful while an equal percentage found = the=20 service useless or very useless. It is interesting that nearly all = respondents found the service entertaining, but they were split on = their=20 perception of usefulness.=20

Gratifications obtained from individual services. The = COL=20 BBS offered a wide variety of services: chat, email, games, = newspaper=20 story archives, movie and restaurant reviews, sports, opinion = (editorial=20 comment), and careers (job listings). Although each = participant did=20 not comment on every service, some user feedback was obtained on = every=20 category. Qualitative comments were tabulated and coded as either = positive=20 or negative. Users of the COL BBS varied greatly in = what they=20 found valuable in the service. It is interesting to note that user = perceptions of utility do not appear to correlate very highly with = actual=20 use. The most notable example was electronic mail. For example, = although=20 there were no recorded dislikes of COL=C6s email feature = =FB in fact it=20 was one of the most popular features =FB email was only utilized = by system=20 adopters just two percent of the time.=20

COL=C6s chat service was also perceived as very valuable = =FB and=20 was rated the most used service on the bulletin board. The = only=20 negative comments about the chat feature focused on some = adopter=C6s=20 feelings that this type of service was misplaced on a BBS = sponsored by a=20 local newspaper.=20

Another area that engendered some controversy was the on-line = games=20 section. Again, nobody said that they just did not enjoy it, = rather some=20 persons questioned its place on this BBS. Fifty-five = percent of the=20 comments about these games were favorable, but 45% were not. = Still,=20 readers should know that participants utilized the games service = only=20 three percent of the time.=20

Perceptions of archived information and story sections varied.=20 Seventy-nine percent of responses about the archival information = were=20 positive, and those that were negative dealt with ease of use for = this=20 information. Respondents were split almost evenly in favor of = (56%) or=20 against (44%) including sports stories on COL. The movie = and=20 restaurant reviews section was liked by 50% of the participants = =FB and=20 disliked by the other half. However, 83% of respondents liked the = opinion=20 section of the service.=20

One other area that provided a slight surprise was the = popularity of=20 the career section =FB a listing of classified jobs. While some = people were=20 bored with it and did not want to see it (14%), most persons, = perhaps=20 including many who worked freelance, were thankful for it (86%).=20

Although the test electronic bulletin board did not run = advertising,=20 respondents were asked their feelings about ads on such a BBS. As=20 suspected, the possibility of advertising brought forth mostly = negative=20 feelings (71% against). Although some persons would be happy to be = able to=20 find good bargains (28%), most were tired of seeing ads =F4all = over,=F6 and=20 their computer seemed to be the last place that they wanted to see = any=20 more. This is not surprising giving the strong=20 anti-commercialization sentiment of on-line adopters in the mid = 1990s.=20

Discussion

The results of quantitative and qualitative descriptive data = gathered=20 in this study offer many insights about the persons who chose to = utilize=20 the Courier On-line bulletin board service in 1994. How = does this=20 data compare to results from other studies of BBS users =FB and to = the=20 descriptions of adopters and their perceived needs posited by uses = and=20 gratifications theory?=20

COL users tended to be more educated, have a higher = income, and=20 be early adopters of computer technology. This is consistent with = the=20 findings of other studies of computer-mediated communication users = in the=20 late 1980s and mid 1990s (e.g., J. Garvey, personal telephone = conversation=20 and FAX, 1994; =F4Nationwi= de=20 Survey Finds,=F6 1994; Trevino = &=20 Webster, 1992). Six years later, this is less the case. = Although=20 computer-mediated communication users are still skewed toward the=20 upper-middle class, they more often come from a more diverse = grouping of=20 households (CommerceNe= t=20 /Nielsen, 2000; Georgia = Tech,=20 1999).=20

The vast majority of time spent on Courier On-line was=20 not in utilizing the news-oriented services, but in the = chat rooms.=20 This important finding is consistent with prior research that = suggested=20 users would become focused on =F4socio-emotional=F6 computer use = to fulfill=20 socialization needs (James, = Wotring,=20 & Forest, 1995; Williams = et=20 al., 1985). But as times have changed, so has the = newspaper-sponsored=20 bulletin board. Services like Courier On-line have been = replaced by=20 more traditional online newspapers (http://www.evansville.net/). And = more recent studies show that users of today=C6s online newspapers = spend=20 over 50% of their time actually reading news stories (Mings = &=20 Harrison, 2000).=20

A very important concern with respondents was ease of use =FB a = characteristic that has been suggested as a major element of the = success=20 or failure of a computer-mediated communication channel (Dutton, = 1997;=20 Rafaeli,=20 1990b; Silverston= e,=20 1996).Very interestingly, despite ease of use concerns, = respondents=20 generally liked the experience of participating in a local = community=20 newspaper sponsored BBS. Perhaps the sense of participating in a=20 cutting-edge local test helped increase this effect.=20

The gratifications obtained by users were consistent with those = found=20 in other studies =FB and in earlier theoretical descriptions of = active media=20 audiences. Chat rooms, which allow for interpersonal and social = utility,=20 were the most important feature =FB utilized heavily and = considered very=20 popular (James=20 et al., 1995; Williams = et=20 al., 1985). It is quite possible that this service =FB = although=20 available on other bulletin board services as well =FB was the = =F4killer app=F6=20 of the day (Dutton, = 1997).=20 It did not replace face-to-face group interactions, but rather = created=20 group interactions under circumstances when the participants would = normally not be able to go out and socialize. On the other hand, = email =FB=20 which was also available on other services =FB seemed to be more = of a=20 replacement for phone calls and traditional mail. As such, it was=20 =F4popular=F6 but rarely used (Hunter,=20 1996a; Williams = et=20 al.). Participants were less interested in using the = Courier=20 On-line service for information gathering. This is also = consistent=20 with prior research and theoretical work about the gratifications = sought=20 by computer-mediated communication users ( = Hunter,=20 1996b; Perse = &=20 Courtright, 1993; Mings, = 1997).=20

Like most online adopters of the era, COL adopters were=20 adamantly against commercialization of the service. Until the mid = 1990s,=20 the Internet community strongly opposed =F4going = commercial.=F6 Because=20 government and educational institutions had largely supported the = Net, its=20 primary purpose was considered to support research and education, = and=20 communication among participants. (Although it was in fact = becoming more=20 and more of an entertainment medium.) Attempts to post=20 advertisements to listservs and discussion groups were, at first,=20 violently opposed by almost all users. Later, some Usenet = newsgroups were=20 specifically developed as =F4classified ads=F6 services, where = individuals=20 could post information about second-hand items for sale.=20

Results reported in this study paint a picture of a technology = and an=20 industry in transition. COL was a locally based,=20 non-commercial experiment performed within a =F4for profit=F6 = setting. This=20 survey of its users describes the uses and gratifications of = individuals=20 during this time of transition between an intensely = individualistic=20 pre-WWW and the commercial Internet of today. Interestingly, = many of=20 their wants and expectations of these services are not dissimilar = to=20 current online users. Of course there is no longer the expectation = of=20 online service without commercial sponsorship. Further, it = was=20 determined that such a service =FB although it may be in part = repackaging=20 existing material =FB could not be operated solely by existing = newspaper=20 staff. Additional personnel would need to be hired in order to = fulfill the=20 burgeoning number of tasks involved in running a BBS. Finally, it = was=20 suggested that a service run by a "traditional mass media outlet" = could=20 best serve its public and differentiate itself in the market by = relying on=20 its strengths =FB providing global and local news and information = in both=20 traditional and more interactive forms.=20

The findings of this study must be weighed in light of the = study=C6s=20 strengths and limitations. The project had multiple methods, a = realistic=20 setting, large sample sizes, and system-gathered data. However, it = must be=20 noted that participants may have inflated their ratings to conform = to the=20 researcher=C6s expectations. Also, there was a large decrease in = the number=20 of respondents from beginning survey to the closing survey. Many = of these=20 persons who did not complete the final survey may represent people = who=20 tried the new technological service and either found it too = cumbersome or=20 not very interesting =FB and thus discontinued their use. = Alternatively,=20 many of them may have just been too busy or not sufficiently = altruistic to=20 complete the voluntary =F4exit=F6 survey.=20

This study of adopters of Courier On-line presents a = clear=20 picture of one group of online newspaper BBS adopters from the mid = 1990s.=20 It is offered as an addition to the non-proprietary information = about=20 early adopters of that time =FB and the gratifications they = obtained from=20 accessing a newspaper-sponsored BBS. The results are largely = consistent=20 with those of similar studies of the era and they strongly support = the=20 view that BBS adopters in the mid 1990s were active users with = clearly=20 defined expectations of what gratifications would be satisfied. = Thus the=20 Evansville study confirms many of the postulated characteristics = of mid=20 1990 online local communities. They were composed of persons who = strongly=20 sought interactive electronic interaction, were highly specialized = in=20 their interests, shunned commercialism of the Net, and were = generally=20 representative of a much larger user-base that would develop in = the coming=20 years.=20

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This file may not be publicly distributed or reproduced without = written=20 permission of the Communication Institute for Online Scholarship, = P.O. Box=20 57, Rotterdam Jct., NY 12150 USA (phone: 518-887-2443).