„Ich lese mit.“ Kommunikation und Inter...

Based on discussions of face to face reading groups, comparable online discussions were investigated. Two kinds of online discussions – book discussions and readalongs – were found, the latter of which being most comparable to f2f reading groups. Certain factors seem to enhance the attention books receive online, namely a softcover edition and a German publishing house. Comparing the discussions leads to the following insights: Online reading groups focus on the text, discussing the reading process and group organization also plays an important role. Discussions overall are more linear. Context, personal experiences and further knowledge outside of books is mostly limited to f2f reading groups. Discussants perform face-work online and f2f. It is however more prevalent f2f and in readalongs, where a (temporary) group with a shared purpose exists, than in book discussions. Mitigation and politeness are used to establish a group connection and to overcome distances of time and space.