Partidos conectivos durante la pandemia. La estrategia de comunicación de Podemos en Twitter

Desde el punto de vista comunicativo, los partidos conectivos se definen por su inclinación hacia modelos participativos donde los flujos conversacionales posean una estructura horizontal y bidireccional entre la élite de la formación y el activismo de base. Esto es posible gracias a que ceden parte de su organización a herramientas de la Web. Dentro de esta taxonomía se encuentra el partido español Unidas-Podemos como ejemplo de partido conectivo. En esta investigación se analiza la vertiente comunicativa externa, basada en el uso de redes sociales online, de los principales partidos políticos españoles durante el periodo de Estado de Alarma provocado por el COVID-19. Para ello, se observará la tasa de interacción y respuestas en Twitter de los representantes del Congreso de los Diputados. Los resultados muestran que los patrones comunicativos a nivel externo de Unidas-Podemos responden a criterios verticales, propios de los partidos convencionales. From a communicational point of view, connective parties are based on horizontal and bidirectional structure of conversational flows between the elite of the formation and the party activists. This is possible because they delegate part of their organization to digital and online platforms. In this paper we use the Spanish party Unidas-Podemos as a case of study of connective parties. Drawing upon the Twitter response and interaction rate between Spanish representatives and citizens, this research analyzes the external communicative aspect of the main Spanish political parties during the Lockdown caused by COVID-19. The results show that the external communication patterns of Unidas-Podemos respond to vertical criteria, typical of conventional parties.

The Impact of E-learning on Virtual Class Interactions: A Case Study of French Virtual Class Interactions

The current qualitative study aims at exploring and analyzing in a descriptive way the impact of e-learning on different interactions forms in French virtual class in order to strengthen the students’ engagement in this type of class. The problem that we encounter when it comes to French virtual class is the lack of spontaneous and active interactions which could negatively affect the learning process. The study was based on data collected from structured observations conducted throughout the 2nd semester 2020/2021. The results show that the general interaction rate is unsatisfactory; especially the peers’ interaction rate which is the worst. To enhance the virtual class interactions, some tips and practices have been recommended. A further study may help to identify the factors that affect the interactions in virtual class.

Lost in the stream? Professional efficacy perceptions of journalists in the context of dark participation

Online comments and contributions from users are not always constructive nor rational. This also applies to content that is directed at journalists or published on journalistic platforms. So-called ‘dark participation’ in online communication is a challenge that journalists have to face because it lowers users’ perceived credibility of media brands and hinders a deliberative discourse in comment sections. This study examines how journalists perceive themselves in relation to dark participation, what measures they take against it, and how they assess the efficacy of these measures. Based on in-depth interviews ( N = 26), we find that journalists overall considered themselves to be effective in handling dark participation. The perceived efficacy differed according to the grade of engagement with users. Journalists who interacted very much or very little with users perceive the efficacy of their interventions to be highest, whilst those with medium levels of interaction rate their efficacy to be lower. Furthermore, the perceived amount of dark participation also affected the perceived efficacy.

Comparing Facebook as an interactive communication tool for companies in LatAm and worldwide

Social networks have changed the communication rules between companies and their stakeholders. Facebook became an important tool of communication strategies to promote interaction and dialogue. The objective of this study is to analyze how companies in LatAm and worldwide are managing the interaction with their stakeholders on Facebook. For this paper, 159 corporate profiles and 32,760 posts were analyzed through the methodology of content analysis. The categories selected were communication approach, communication resources, interaction level, and interaction rate. Results illustrate that the communication of companies in LatAm and worldwide mainly involves an informative approach on Facebook. The content disseminated by companies is not promoting interaction with the stakeholders. In contrast, companies are managed in a unidirectional way, meaning that it is not managed to establish and strengthen relationships, but rather to get visibility.

Consumption in the Digital Age

In today's world, the digital environment has an influence on consumers' lives, in terms of attitudes, preferences, habits, likes and dislikes, and purchasing practices. It is also observed that throughout history, a variety of professionals have been utilized to influence the public. To the group of individuals who lead as celebrities, role models, or opinion leaders in the digital age, “influencers” have been added in. This chapter aims to examine the relationship between influencers and consumption. As a result of the research, it was revealed that most of the shares/posts had the name of a brand or product, tagged brand, or used related hashtags to direct followers to consumption. The findings also show that despite the use of a large number of brand names, a very small number of these posts have the emphasis of sponsorship, advertising, or cooperation. Finally, it was also found that despite the high number of followers, the interaction rate is very low.

Acoustic detection of neutrinos in bedrock

We propose to utilize bedrock as a medium for acoustic detection of particle showers following interactions of ultra-high energy neutrinos. With the density of rock three-times larger and the speed of sound four-times larger compared to water, the amplitude of the generated bipolar pressure pulse in rock should be larger by an order of magnitude. Our preliminary simulations confirm that prediction. Higher density of rock also guarantees higher interaction rate for neutrinos. A noticeably longer attenuation length in rock reduces signal dissipation. The Pyhäsalmi mine has a unique infrastructure and rock conditions to test this idea and, if successful, extend it to a full-size experiment.

Development of Fluffy Screen System and Field Trial at a Shopping Mall

Digital signage has been used for services such as advertisement and guidance in public spaces. The use of interactive digital signage has been increasing in recent years. To make full use of the interactivity of digital signage, it is necessary for people to start to interact. In this study, we made a hypothesis that fluffy objects have attraction affordance, and aimed to verify this hypothesis by developing a fluffy screen system. The proposed system is inflated with air. Then, multiple touch inputs from the outside of the screen are detected by cameras inside the screen, and clustering is performed. The information is presented by LCD projectors based on the results of clustering. A field trial in a shopping mall was conducted to verify the hypothesis. A very high interaction rate was realized during the trial of four hours. The results strongly support the hypothesis.