Abstract
Several scholars have proposed the conceptualization of the Web 2.0 as a "complex ecology" in order to grasp the new settings of the public sphere in contemporary societies. However, few studies have developed an accurate characterization of the specific conditions of communication on digital environments. This article aims to characterize, on a comparative basis, three conversation online spaces: blogs, social network sites (i.e. Facebook) and collaborative platforms (i.e. YouTube). From a critical assessment of the current literature and empirical studies, it focuses on the implications of the identification of participants, the role of moderation, the social interactivity and the nature of the expected public. Taking into consideration the normative conditions for deliberation, we defend the argument that the relationship between the platform design and the organization of conversational online spaces has specific impacts on mediated conversation and argumentation setting. In conclusion, we indicate some implications of technical architecture of distinct platforms in order to think about the complexity of online conversations under a deliberative perspective.
Keywords:
deliberation; conversation; social media; YouTube; Facebook; blogs