Varför online-volontär? : en kvalitativ studie om motiven för att engagera sig och arbeta gratis på ett konstinriktat Community

Sammanfattning: People, today, use the Internet more and more for everything and there are courses on different aspects of our Internet use: social media, leadership, and networks. However, there is not much said about volunteering online, despite many active online volunteers who work several hours each day. It is relevant to know what inspires and motivates a person to volunteer to keep him or her motivated to continue to do so and to be able to get new volunteers. To find out what makes someone volunteer online, especially on an art community, I interviewed former volunteers and surveyed members with Seniority on the art site deviantART, which is one of the biggest art communities online. I used Volunteer Functions Inventory (VFI) by Clary and Snyder together with theories based on Manuel Castells' and Eva Jeppsson Grassman's work. It was determined that passion for the subject (in this case, art), the need or desire to help, community spirit and size, time, and friends are vital to why and how people engage themselves and why someone chooses to become an online volunteer on an art-oriented Internet site. The why and how are important to know, since they together with the volunteers higher motives (like career and visibility) provide insight on how to keep and procure new online volunteers.