Advances convergence of sociology and computer science, as equal partners in exploring the dynamic structure of online communities.

William Sims Bainbridge has written or edited over forty books on culture and technology, most recently Family History Digital Libraries (2018) and Virtual Local Manufacturing Communities (2019). Past books include Star Worlds (2012), Dimensions of Science Fiction (1986), The Virtual Future (2011), The Spaceflight Revolution (1983), and Goals in Space (1991). He currently is a program director at the National Science Foundation.

1. Introduction; 2. Facebook; 3. Virtual worlds; 4. Open-source software; 5. Wikis; 6. Citizen social science; 7. Digital government; 8. Cultural science.