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"Hey, i know what this is!": Cultural affinities and early-stage appropriation of the emerging bitcoin technology

Yong Ming Kow, Xianghua Ding Shanghai

Research output: Chapters, Conference Papers, Creative and Literary WorksRGC 32 - Refereed conference paper (with host publication)peer-review

Abstract

User appropriation can be immensely helpful to bootstrap emerging technologies; but how do new and lesser known technologies attract these earliest adopters? This paper investigates user appropriation of emerging computing technologies, by focusing on Bitcoin, a digital monetary system supported by a peer-to-peer network of computing devices. We conducted in-depth interviews with sixteen Bitcoin community participants in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Baltimore. We describe user appropriation in this case of Bitcoin as a sociocultural journey-from encounter, research and learning, to socialization. We contribute the concept of cultural affinities, including conceptual, contextual and social dimensions, as important mediators leading to early-stage user appropriation. Copyright is held by the owner/author(s).
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the International ACM SIGGROUP Conference on Supporting Group Work
PublisherAssociation for Computing Machinery
Pages213-221
Volume13-16-November-2016
ISBN (Print)9781450342766
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 13 Nov 2016
Event19th ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work, GROUP 2016 - Sanibel Island, United States
Duration: 13 Nov 201616 Nov 2016

Publication series

Name
Volume13-16-November-2016

Conference

Conference19th ACM International Conference on Supporting Group Work, GROUP 2016
PlaceUnited States
CitySanibel Island
Period13/11/1616/11/16

Research Keywords

  • Appropriation
  • Bitcoin
  • Sociocultural

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