Drawing on chasm theory and perceived value theory, this study investigated user participation behavior differences at different stages of online communities to understand two stage-related threats: the cold-start problem (i.e., creating conditions for the establishment of an initial mass of content) and the chasm problem (i.e., user motivational change as an online community evolves). Analysis of survey data from 657 TikTok users revealed changes in user participation motivation that can be associated with the online community's development, providing evidence for the existence of a chasm in the online community context. This research has implications for both theorists and practitioners looking to build sustainable online communities.

中文翻译：

---

跨越鸿沟：基于网络社区阶段了解用户动机差异


本研究借鉴鸿沟理论和感知价值理论，调查了网络社区不同阶段的用户参与行为差异，以了解与阶段相关的两个威胁：冷启动问题（即为初始海量内容的建立创造条件）以及鸿沟问题（即，随着在线社区的发展，用户动机发生变化）。对 657 名 TikTok 用户的调查数据分析显示，用户参与动机的变化可能与网络社区的发展有关，为网络社区环境中存在鸿沟提供了证据。这项研究对寻求建立可持续在线社区的理论家和实践者都有影响。