Socialisation deals with the processes of how members (or even small groups) get contact to a social world, how they are introduced to it, how they become drawn into it. Informal, unsure and accidental networks of acquaintances and friends are in essential role in socialisation process. Not to mention the previously mentioned, more or less formal coaching (learning how fun the online games are with friends around, or reading EA’s game manual) and sponsoring (father paying his daughter’s phone bills after extensive buying of Habbo “furni”, or a big game company advertises itself on its fansite).

It is worth noting that socialisation should not be confused with learning process. Socialisation is usually a less conscious and slower process than explicit and intentional learning. One can learn quite fast how to play a certain multiuser online game. S/he is, however, socialised into it when the game has, for example, become a habitual part of his/her computer usage, or when s/he routinely takes the attitudes and views of other players as his/her own. Socialisation includes also a feeling of being "at home" in the community.

After the introduction to the social world, a member or a small group may have many kinds of careers and orbiting processes. They may move to another subworld, they may drop out from the current subworld, or, what is perhaps the most typical case, they may have multiple memberships. When proceeding on their career, they may feel themselves as compatible, incompatible, or neutral towards oncoming subworlds. These movements may feel easy or hard, they may consider probabilities of remaining, and least but not last, they may feel like being in the margins of those subworlds (as a Stranger or a Tourist in Unruh’s (1983) typology), being socially ranked far from authenticity.

Examples from Habbo and GeoCaching

Habbo socialisation: Becoming a member of a gang, but for some reason staying on the rookie level in it.

Geocaching socialisation: routinely thinking geomugglers (outsiders) as practical problems, instead of as people having a walk.

Social design strategies

Since most subworlds are not founded by newcomers, but involve orbiting processes, community management should enable easy (but not too easy, there is still need of involvement in sub-groups) movement from one membership of a sub-group to another. Consider also pros and cons of carry on with one's positive reputation or a high rank from one group to another in the community. Is it better to save one's, say, property when s/he starts in a new group, or is the fresh start better for the individual, and for the older members of the new group.

Another viewpoint: create and maintain a behavioural code that would enforce flexible attitudes toward outsiders. It is important to existence of any community to draw the line between insiders and outsiders, but think carefully whether your community is a tight group of insiders, or more open and flexible one. Geocaching's (rather open) way of putting a polite and informing note for outsiders who accidentally open the cache box, is an example of "private" and odd-looking activity in the open environment that needs some sort of explanation to outsiders who cannot see the website level of life of the community.