This study tests the influence of multi-visual dimensions and textual features of electronic word-of-mouth (EWOM) on its perceived helpfulness on a sample from Saudi Arabia. This investigation is conducted in the context of Twitter through an online factorial experiment. The design incorporates a 3 (visual inclusion to text: with product-only photo, with product and face photo, without product photo) × 3 (EWOM valence: positive, positive and negative, and negative) between-subjects experiment (n = 540). It is concluded that when evaluating EWOM helpfulness, pictures do in fact contribute substantial value. For females, this effect is more pronounced when the EWOM is two-sided at the product-only photo level, and when EWOM is negative at the product with a face photo level. Thus, this study adds to the body of existing theories by arguing that EWOM helpfulness largely depends on how the textual and visual features of EWOM are communicated.

This study explored dominant topics about the metaverse discussed in Twitter and the sentiments in each topic in the case of Decentraland using topic modeling and sentiment analysis. The appraisal theory of emotion and motivation theory were used to explain why positive or negative sentiments were expressed toward specific topics. The majority of topics were related to economic benefits such as coins, NFTs, tokens, estate, land, and spaces or socializing with others at specific events. Many of them included predominantly positive sentiments because consumers appraised them as motive consistent. This serves as an important implication for marketers and developers in the metaverse that they need to focus more on these features so that consumers can interact with the motive-consistent features and thus have positive emotions.

This study investigates social media posts on Twitter concerning cryptocurrency marketing. We applied unsupervised Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) topic modeling and sentiment analysis techniques to 98,716 tweets to examine the Twitter content for subjects and sentiments related to cryptocurrency. We discovered that tweets about cryptocurrency fell into four categories, with “cryptocurrency trading,” “NFT airdrop,” “cryptocurrency affiliate program,” and “Dogecoin on social media” being the most popular. Most of the topics had positive sentiments. Theoretical and practical implications for developing cryptocurrency marketing communication strategies are discussed.

This paper describes Natural Language Processing techniques to extract patterns of destination image formation from Social Media postings. In a pilot study, we show how Twitter postings can be mined to uncover travel motivations and values for various travel destinations; we also explore the mental representations that underly these values and motivations. While this pilot study is subject to limitations, the results demonstrate that Twitter data is a compelling source of information about travellers and destinations.

There is scarcity of studies on social media strategy, and their appropriate implementation, applied to the case multinational corporations. In particular; there is a lack of studies adopting a cross-cultural approach (Okazaki and Taylor, 2013). Behind this fact is the assumption that, in general, multinational corporations adopt a global strategy that does not fit well with the personalized nature of social media. From the perspective of social media management, there are a kind of dilemma between the adoption of a centralized and standardized content generation and diffusion approach vis á vis adopting a decentralization orientation at country level or even a more local level. Berthon, Pitt, Plangger, and Shapiro (2012) signal the challenge of standardizing corporate content in social media and point out the advantage of take into consideration the specificities of different cultures and countries. We found a tension between two trends, for one hand social media implies co-creation and the sharing the power between the firm and their customer, while global integrated marketing communications follow precisely the opposite route. This research was conducted to examine the influence of centralization degree of social media communication towards online customer. We develop an empirical study applied to more than 160 corporate Twitter accounts from Iberoamerican countries. These accounts are the universe of Spanish corporates accounts of a set of the most important global automobile brands over a two-month study period. We use post-level engagement metric as measure of consumers’ attitudinal responses to corporate tweets. The results indicate that online customer engagement is affected by the type of the social media account of the brand (global, country, distributor, event specific). A strategy of issuing tweets from more general and global account result in a greater impact on customer engagement. In general, it seems that a centralized strategy obtains more effect in the number of obtained retweets even controlling by content topic, sender and post characteristic. This research has important implications for Digital Managers of corporations in terms of better understanding and improving corporates’ strategy in the social media communication channels.

Festival branding is undergoing a revolution based on the consolidation of new communicative behaviours in virtual brand communities (VBC), above all channelled through social media platforms (Hudson & Hudson, 2013; MacKay, Barbe, Van Winkle, & Halpenny, 2017). Although generic literature (Dessart, Veloutsou, & Morgan-Thomas, 2015) has highlighted the role of user engagement in VBC, there are no in-depth analyses of how users modulate engagement attributes and behaviours and how they are related to festival branding, as well as other possible and sometimes interrelated drivers (social capital creation, place making). Thus, this paper aims to characterise these elements in festivals’ VBC to cover these shortcomings. This proposal performs a multi-platform, multi-period, multi-user and mixed-method analysis of nearly 2,150 references in the Twitter and Facebook VBC of one of the most prominent music festivals in Europe, Sónar (Barcelona). Results show the benefits for organisers (and other relevant users) of jointly understanding these elements (and their mutual relationships) with the aim of retaining various positive economic and social impacts.

This study is intended to investigate that it is possible to analyze the public awareness and satisfaction of the weather forecast service provided by the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) through social media data as a way to overcome limitations of the questionnaire-based survey in the previous research. Sentiment analysis and association rule mining were used for Twitter data containing opinions about the weather forecast service. As a result of sentiment analysis, the frequency of negative opinions was very high, about 75%, relative to positive opinions because of the nature of public services. The detailed analysis shows that a large portion of users are dissatisfied with precipitation forecast and that it is needed to analyze the two kinds of error types of the precipitation forecast, namely, ‘False alarm’ and ‘Miss’ in more detail. Therefore, association rule mining was performed on negative tweets for each of these error types. As a result, it was found that a considerable number of complaints occurred when preventive actions were useless because the forecast predicting rain had a ‘False alarm’ error. In addition, this study found that people’s dissatisfaction increased when they experienced inconveniences due to either unpredictable high winds and heavy rains in summer or severe cold in winter, which were missed by weather forecast. This study suggests that the analysis of social media data can provide detailed information about forecast users’ opinion in almost real time, which is impossible through survey or interview.

Bacterial cells communicate with each other through their specific chemical languages, by which bacteria regulate a set of genes in a multicellular behavior, including antibiotics, biofilm, motility, and virulence. The twitter communication in Gram positive bacteria is mediated by diffusible signal molecules, N-acyl homoserine lactones (HSLs), that differ with respect to the length, saturation and substitutions of the side-chain. In Gram negative bacteria, diffusible peptides control the physiological phenotypes. In this presentation, some general examples of bacterial twitter communication, such as Vibrio fischeri, Burkholderia glumae, Agrobacterium tumefaciens, and Serratia marcescens will be presented. The contribution of bacterial communication to pathogenicity of Pantoea ananatis, our model bacterium causing bacterial rice sheath rot and onion center rot diseases, will mainly be discussed.

Ahn, Ye-rim & Yang, Myung-hee. 2018. “Study on the Expanded Use of the Personal Honorific ‘bun(분)’” The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 26(1), 229~250. The aim of this study is to identify the new usages and functions of the personal honorific ‘bun’ in internet communication languages (ICL). To do this, we retrieved all the comments containing the word ‘bun’ that were posted on Twitter throughout the year 2017. The findings of this study are as follows. First, in ICL, ‘bun’ is used not only to represent its original meaning and function; it is also combined with a new form of address that does not carry any personal or honorific connotations. Second, Twitter users use ‘bun’ to refer to any person they are addressing, regardless of social status. Third, ‘bun’ is used in connection with the “fun-seeking”function of ICL. Finally, it is evident that the use of ‘bun’ in ICL has begun to influence everyday language. Wide-ranging studies on changing everyday use of ‘bun’ are needed.

Substantial knowledge about how electronic word of mouth (eWOM) relates to influentials, or, individuals who either intentionally or unintentionally have a great impact on the network, is lacking because influence patterns are hardly quantifiable when human and societal components are not deeply understood. The eWOM networks in social media platforms drive the theoretical and practical progress of the social structure of eWOM and the social role of influentials. The purpose of this study is to explore the diffusion of eWOM in a Twitter network by drawing from the Diffusion of Innovation theory in conjunction with Social Network Analysis (SNA) approach. Through a large amount of data collected from Twitter regarding the terrorist attack in Paris on November 13, 2015, this study examined the social structure of eWOM network groups and identifies the social role of influential users in the network of #prayforparis. To identify influentials of eWOM in Twitter networks, SNA was conducted with NodeXL, which is an Excel add-in network analysis software. The Twitter data set was uploaded at 11 am, on November 17, 2015 by applying hashtag prayforparis through Twitter Search Network feature of NodeXL. A total of 19,592 tweets (vertices) were downloaded with a total of 20,297 edges (relations between vertices). “Justin Bieber” was identified as the most influential and dominant user in the network of #prayforparis because he has the highest in-degree (4,196) and highest betweenness centrality (51,772,745.861). Justin Bieber lost one of his friends in the terrorist attack, and his tweet about the sadness from the loss was retweeted more than 50,000 times and received 77,000 likes. Throughout the network, top word pairs respectively repeated more than 4,000 times were “thomas, prayforparis,” “rt, justinebieber,” “rip, thomas,” and “justinbiber, rip.” “Ally Brook” and “Louis Tomlin” ranked 3rd and 5th respectively with the highest betweenness centrality also demonstrated the celebrity power in the eWOM network of #prayforparis. While the three celebrities as dominant influentials were prominent in the Twitter network of #prayforparis, the social roles of fans were also acknowledged. The celebrities’ fans and fan sites have constantly diffused the celebrities’ posts by retweeting and by mentioning every tweet posted by the celebrities that they support. Without the celebrities and their fans, the #prayforparis network would have depicted a completely different style of diffusion of eWOM. The study confirmed social role of fans that constantly presented idiosyncratic manners by identifying and by linking to the public figure. The distinctive characteristics of the fans also enabled identifying the social role of the celebrity while spreading the new ideas with hashtag. The celebrity played a key role as an information hub even in a network of socio-political events such as the #prayforparis Twitter network. Thus, identified overwhelming influence of the celebrities in the eWOM network extends the areas of marketing choices and applicable strategies with celebrities.

본 연구는 한중 간 온라인 의견표명 차이를 알아보고자 설계되었다. 특히 양국의 트위터를 이용하는 사람들의 의견표명 행위를 상호비교 하는데 그 주목적이 있다. 여기서는 이들의 온 라인 의견표명에 관여하는 요인을 인구통계학적 변인, 트위터 이용정도 그리고 인터넷 이용 행태로 보고 있다. 기존 의견표명 연구 대부분은 첫째 오프라인에서의 검증연구 위주, 둘째 통계검증에서 주로 비율척도 활용, 셋째 무엇보다 국가 간 비교연구가 한정적으로 진행되어 왔다. 연구결과, 첫째 전체적으로 한국에 비해 중국의 트위터 이용자들이 온라인에서의 의견표명 을 보다 적극적으로 하고 있었다. 그 중 중국 남성의 온라인 의견표명 의지가 두드러졌다. 둘 째 양국 모두 트위터 이용시간이 길수록 온라인에서 자신의 의견을 나타내는 경향을 보였고, 그 정도는 한국이 중국보다 다소 높은 것으로 나타났다. 셋째 인터넷 이용행태에서 인터넷을 습관적으로 이용하는 사람은 그렇지 않은 사람보다 온라인 의견표명을 더 잘하는 것으로 나타났다. 이러한 현상은 중국이 한국보다 더욱 뚜렷했다. 본 연구를 통해 다시 한번 중국인은 한국인에 비해 온라인 의견표명 행위를 더 적극적으 로 하고 있음을 확인하였다. 이들 온라인 의견표명에 익숙한 중국인들에 의해 만들어진 온라 인 언어자료를 수집, 분석할 필요성이 제기되고 있다. 또한 양국민 모두 트위터 이용시간이 길고, 습관적으로 인터넷을 사용하는 개인들이 온라인에서 자신을 더 잘 표현하는 것으로 나 타났다. 이는 인터넷에 노출되는 빈도와 목적의식 여부가 의견표명 정도에 영향력을 나타내 고 있음을 의미한다. 이에 대한 보다 세부적인 후속연구가 필요할 것이다.

This study focuses on clarifying mechanism for alternative media based on twitter. Alternative media based on twitter is different from mass media because it has gameness for improving interactivity between news providers and news receivers. This study argues that the gameness could be quests. News providers provide quests to news receivers, so news receivers can expand their territory with playing quest. This aspect is related to the feature of Alternative Reality Game. News receivers participate in News distribution and News production because of its intrinsic rewards. Therefore, twitter communities by playing quests are similar to the communities of digital game's community and Crowdsourcing projects are appeared in alternative media based on Twitter.

이 논문은 최근 그 영향력을 더해 가고 있는 SNS에서의 저작권 침해 및 온라인서비스 제공자의 책임에 관한 것이다. SNS는 기존의 인터넷 서비스와는 달리 사용자들에게 쌍방향의 정보 교환 및 공유가 가능한 업데이팅 공간을 제공하고 있어, 위 업데이팅 공간을 통하여 저작권 침해물이 더욱 빠르고 광범위하게 확산될 수 있고, 또한 정보 및 콘텐츠의 자유로운 공유를 그 운영 목적으로 함에 따라 사용자가 인터넷서비스 상에 게재하는 콘텐츠에 관하여 다른 인터넷서비스와는 차별되는 약관 규정을 두고 있는바, 위와 같은 다른 인터넷서비스와 차별화되는 특징들은 기존의 인터넷서비스에서의 저작권 문제에서는 다루어지지 않았던 새로운 저작권법적 쟁점을 야기한다. 먼저, SNS의 약관과 관련된 저작권법적 쟁점에 관하여 보건대, SNS의 약관 규정은 SNS 및 그 협력사들에게만 사용자가 등록한 콘텐츠에 관한 사용권한을 부여하였으므로, 제3자는 SNS의 약관 규정을 들어 SNS 상 콘텐츠에 대한 사용권한을 주장할 수 없다(Agence France Presse v. Morel 사건). 한편 SNS는 사용자가 SNS 상에 등록한 콘텐츠에 관하여 SNS 측에 무기한의 사용권한을 부여하는 약관 규정을 두고 있는데, 이러한 약관 규정은 콘텐츠의 소유권자이자 저작권자로서의 사용자가 SNS 상 콘텐츠를 삭제하거나 자신의 SNS 계정을 삭제하였음에도 불구하고, 그 사용자가 작성한 콘텐츠가 여전히 온라인 상에서 유포될 수 있도록 하는바, 이는 사용자의 콘텐츠에 대한 소유권 및 저작권을 전혀 존중하지 않는 것으로, 심각한 사생활 침해 문제를 야기할 수 있으며, SNS 측이 약관상의 포괄적인 재사용권 설정 권한에 기하여 언론 매체나 포털 서비스 등에 SNS 상에 존재하는 콘텐츠에 관한 포괄적인 재사용권한을 부여할 경우 그 부당함은 더욱 커지므로, 위와 같은 내용의 약관 규정은 개정되어야 한다. 다음으로, SNS에서의 저작권 침해에 관하여 보건대, SNS와 관련된 저작권 침해 태양은 SNS 사용자가 SNS 상에 게재한 콘텐츠를 다른 이용자 또는 매체가 무단으로 이용한 경우와 SNS 사용자가 SNS 상에 타인의 저작물을 무단으로 게재하여 저작권을 침해하는 경우로 나누어 볼 수 있다. 먼저, SNS 사용자가 SNS 상에 게재한 콘텐츠를 다른 사용자 또는 다른 매체가 무단으로 이용한 경우는 우선 당해 콘텐츠를 저작물로 인정할 수 있을 것인가가 문제되는데, SNS 상의 콘텐츠도 저작물성을 판단하는 일반 기준에 따라 저작물로 인정될 수 있고, 침해 태양에 따라 성명 표시권, 동일성 유지권, 복제권, 공중송신권, 2차적 저작물 작성권의 침해 여부가 문제될 것이다. 다음으로, SNS 사용자가 SNS 상에서 저작권 침해행위를 하는 경우와 관련하여 자신의 홈페이지에 저작권 침해물이 게시된 경우 그 계정 명의인에게도 저작권 침해로 인한 책임을 물을 수 있는지 여부, 좋아요, 리트윗 등으로 저작권 침해물을 유포시킨 사용자도 저작권 침해 책임을 지는지 여부가 문제되는데, 부정함이 타당하다고 생각된다. 마지막으로, SNS 제공자의 책임에 관하여 보건대, 법원 및 학계는 민법 제760조 제3항의 방조에 의한 공동불법행위 규정에 근거하여 이용자의 직접 침해에 대하여 온라인서비스 제공자 책임이 성립하는 것으로 보고 있고, 방조 책임이 성립한 경우 책임의 제한 요건에 관하여 현행 저작권법 제102조 제1항은 온라인서비스의 유형을 네 종류로 나누어, 각각의 경우의 책임 제한 요건을 규정하고 있다. SNS 제공자의 간접 책임에 관하여 보건대, SNS의 운영 취지, 형태 등에 비추어 볼 때 SNS 제공자에 대하여 민법 제760조 제3항의 방조에 의한 공동불법행위 책임을 지우기는 어려울 것으로 보이고, 설령 저작권 침해 책임이 성립하더라도 저작권법 제102조 제1항에서 정하고 있는 면책 요건을 갖출 경우 그 책임이 제한될 수 있을 것이다. 저작권법의 개정으로 온라인서비스 제공자의 책임 제한 요건이 보다 구체화되었으나, 여전히 SNS 제공자가 방조에 의한 공동불법행위 책임의 성립 요건을 갖추었는지, 책임이 성립될 경우 책임제한 요건을 구비하였는지를 판단함에 있어서는 많은 해석의 여지가 남아 있는바, SNS 제공자의 공동불법행위 책임을 어느 정도 범위로 인정할 것인가의 문제는 일률적인 법 적용의 문제가 아닌 정책적인 문제로, 저작권자의 권리를 보호하면서도 다양한 콘텐츠의 생산, 공유를 촉진함으로써 문화 발전에 이바지하는 SNS의 순기능을 저해하지 않고, 그 이용자들의 사생활 및 개인정보를 보호할 수 있는 균형점을 찾기 위한 지속적인 노력이 필요하다.

Lee, Jeong-bok. 2012. Usages, Research Trends, and Challenges of Net-language in the Smart-phone Era. The Sociolinguistic Journal of Korea 20(1). pp. 177-211. We can access to high-speed internet at anytime and anywhere thanks to the advent of smart-phones which are fully equipped with computer and mobile phone. Such being the case, netizens' language use in real-time has increased significantly in the social network services (SNS) such as Twitter, Facebook, etc. So smart-phones and mobile internet have become an important part of our lives, and the time and opportunities of reading and writing in cyberspace are also rising rapidly. The purpose of this paper is to identify the use of net-language in 2012 and look at the recent research trends and challenges of net-language. In section 2, we introduce the usages of net-language in the SNS. In section 3, the recent research trends of net-language adopted in the SNS will be examined. Then, we present the future direction and challenges of research on net-language. Through this process, it has been confirmed that the reading and writing activities in cyberspace have become a part of our everyday life, and the characteristics of net-language are observed to be transferred to everyday language. It appears to be necessary to study the new phenomena of net-language and linguistic cultures which are emerging with the advent of smart-phones and mobile internet. We want to point out the necessity of research on the new emerging and changing of net-language. In addition to that, the effects of net-language on the netizen should be studied and dealt with in a more serious way.