Sharing Communities: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Abstract

There are many mysteries surrounding sharing communities, mainly due to their hidden workings and the complexity of joining. Nevertheless, these communities are critical to the security ecosystem, so a more profound understanding is necessary. In addition, they face challenges such as building trust, communicating effectively, and addressing social problems. This work aims to understand better the working methods, organizational structures, goals, benefits, and challenges of sharing communities to help improve their effectiveness and efficiency. To achieve this goal, we conducted video interviews with 25 experts from different countries worldwide who participate in various types of sharing communities. In addition, we applied socio-technical systems (STS) theory in our analysis process to elaborate on our findings from the interviews, identify correlations between them, and explore the interrelationships between social and technical elements of sharing communities. Our findings underscore the need for a holistic view of how sharing communities work. Instead of looking at individual aspects in isolation, considering the interrelationships between the different elements, especially the social, is crucial. This holistic perspective allows us to understand better the complexity and dynamics of sharing communities and how they can function effectively and efficiently. The findings of this study provide valuable impetus for the further development of sharing communities and can serve as a basis for future research.