A comparative analysis of ontological techniques in supporting online communities

In the early years of the Internet, online communities (OC) were considered primarily a social phenomenon. However, the last five years have seen a paradigm shift in the methodologies used lo support virtual communities. The commercial sector had been quick to recognise the benefits of adding more depth and vitality to their sites through the inclusion and encouragement of user created content. The effects of a strong commitment and loyal membership towards sustaining the community can significantly add to their success. However, with the advent of knowledge management as a recognised and increasingly practised discipline, new techniques and methodologies have been developed to enhance online collaboration and content management. In this context narrative is still understood to be the principle mode of knowledge transfer within an online environment. In design and use it seems that online cultural heritage discourse is necessarily mediated by this form. Within this context, this paper describes four separate approaches undertaken as part of the CIPHER project in providing intelligent support to online communities within the Cultural Heritage sector.