healthy, lively dialogue

As people become more familiar with each other, there’s a letting go of the shared assumptions and rules. Personal experiences are shared, people become bolder, more spontaneity, irony, pathos, exaggeration, speaking off the record, and all the normal conversational techniques come into play.

As the tone of the dialogue changes and personalities emerge, each group member feeds back into the group as a whole and the virtual teams undergo a “social construction of self” in this reciprocal process. Bonnevier (1999) This opens the door to group members feeling more comfortable enagaging in critical dialogue.

Additionally, assuming a persona or role playing intentionally or unintentionally can lead to alternative views can be expressed. Covenants or pacts, agreements on what will be discussed, creates a secure environment and the impression of control so participants feel more comfortable engaging. This can lead to depth and intimacy, "candlepower," in an online forum.

In all three of these cases, there is a departure from the typical way online dialogue is conducted and whether used separately or alone, creates an environment that encourages risk-taking.