- or community user groups dynamics

When looking back in time, an individual can be located on certain stages or states, as in the following ideal example. However, it is crucial to keep in mind that many kinds of simoultaneous and "looping" states are possible. Only seldom there is a clear and in-advance-recognized "starting point" but several latent states that might proceed into more conscious states. Furthermore, the path is not allways this kind of a straight line from outside to the center of the inside, or from down to up.

Worried mother: A mother is worried about her daughter who spends so much time in the Internet, and in the Habbo Hotel especially. The daughter is rather unwilling to explain what is she doing there, and when she does, the language is full of strange words. When the mother asked what this "furni" means, the daughter just screams on her: "Christ sakes, mom, you are stupid!" For a mother this is a sort of latent state, including no intention to become a habbo.

First time user: Here the mother has a single target; to see what her daughter is doing in the Habbo Hotel. The registration and all the routines come with the territory.

Moderator: Because of being an adult among kids and teenagers, and behaving aligned to that offline fact, the mother is invited rapidly to become a hobba.

Fansite author: When it is revealed to the mother that there are very few risks and negative sides in general in the Habbo compared to those enticing possibilities to enlighten kids, she becomes a fansite author. That way she can get a larger audience. Or, perhaps she has heard of a dramatic problem in the Habbo since a self-made priest from a religious sect has been moving around public rooms, and she wants to warn children of that kind of risks.

In addition to describing different user groups, it is important to think about the relations between the user groups, how are they changing over time? Also, collecting as many membership paths as possible will benefit understanding of the community

Habbo-examples:

• (newbie) furniture collector - room designer - (approved) sociable chatter
• visitor in other's rooms - own room: games designer - fansite author
• father states to child: "don't pay for Habbo!" - child has to earn credits/furni as worker in other's rooms - becomes a creative room and ingame Habbo-service designer to earn enough credits to be part of the Habbo Club