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In the online environment, as in the offline, people naturally tend to assume a variety of different CharactersAndRoles?, whether by nature or by choice. These roles are essentially generalizations of characters, that is, a certain type of character that appears so often as to be nameable and characterizable (no pun intended). They vary across the spectrum of personality and behavior from the beneficial (such as a BuildingJanitor) to the destructive (such as a self-appointed PoliceForce; see CategoryDifficultPerson for the AntiPattern subclass of this category). This category is used to denote the pages discussing these various personas; follow the title link to see all pages marked as such.

The list below is grouped by general type of role.

LeaderRole?
- RoleModel
- BenevolentDictator
- GodKing (an antipattern)
- PhilosopherKing (another antipattern)
- AbsentLeader (yet another antipattern)
- FirstServant

HeroRole?
- UnsungHero
- RoleModel
- WikiMaster
- BuildingJanitor
- VestedContributor (an antipattern)

CommunityRole?
- VisitorRole
- GuestRole
- CommunityMember
- ModeratorRole?
- HostRole?
- DeveloperRole?

CommunicationRole

ContentRole?
- TheAudience
- AuthorRole?
- ReviewerRole?
- EditorRole?
- ProducerRole?

InterWikiRole?
- RefugeeRole
- GateKeeper?
- BoundarySpanner?s (GluePeople)

EccentricRole
- CourtJester
- FringeArtist?
- AntiAuthoritarian
- Trolls (cf. WhatIsaTroll)
  - UsurperTroll?
  - SpoilSportTroll?
- HyenaRole
- EccentricCharacter
  - ArthurStace
- AnonymousDonor
- KnowItAll
- RecordKeeper
- PoliceForce/VigilanteJustice

DiscussionRoles

An illustrated typology: The Netizens Guide To FlameWarriors

See: A taxonomy of roles: [Social Roles in Electronic Communities] quote:

"Communities are complex social structures that change and grow over time, as a result of the behavior of their constituent members. This behavior is not random, however. Each individual has a set of social skills, privileges and responsibilities within the community that describes his or her behavior. This behavioral repertoire is called a role." by Scott A. Golder, MIT Media Laboratory, Sociable Media Group

See: [Online Community Member Roles] by [Nancy White], of Full Circle Associates, 2001

Many of the characters above have done good for the community. When I say "doing good for the community" I mean in the sense that the community is richer for their presence, not that the individual effects of their presence are identifiably good. This is a game of the sum of the whole, not the sum of the parts.

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