ABSTRACT

Platform governance plays a key role in guiding and regulating user behaviors and helping the platforms grow healthily and has thus attracted growing scholarly attention. By deploying the walkthrough method and semi-structured in-depth interviews, this study examines the governance mechanisms of two queer social and dating platforms – Rela and HER – and users’ practices for engaging with their governance systems. The findings suggest that Rela developes a type of stringent governance culture, characterized by the highly strict and authoritative censorship stipulations and practices, particularly with respect to sexual and political content. HER, however, establishes a relatively relaxed governance system, showing higher tolerance toward a wider range of topics and foregrounding a co-governance approach by encouraging users’ self-regulation and mutual supervision. These differences in governance practices and cultures have been substantially shaped by the sociopolitical environments in which these two platforms have developed. Interviewees expressed diverse interpretations of the governance systems of Rela and HER based on their individual practices, for example, articulating their concerns and dissatisfaction while also emphasizing their positive experiences enabled by these two platforms’ governance practices. This study enriches the existing platform governance studies by offering insights into queer social platforms’ governance systems and their users’ practices.

摘要

平台治理在引导和规范用户行为、帮助平台健康成长方面发挥着关键作用，因此受到越来越多的学术界关注。通过部署演练方法和半结构化深度访谈，本研究检验了两个酷儿社交和约会平台——Rela 和 HER——的治理机制，以及用户参与其治理系统的实践。调查结果表明，Rela 形成了一种严格的治理文化，其特点是高度严格和权威的审查规定和做法，特别是在性和政治内容方面。而HER建立了相对宽松的治理体系，对更广泛的主题表现出更高的容忍度，并通过鼓励用户自我监管和相互监督来突出共同治理的方法。治理实践和文化的这些差异在很大程度上受到这两个平台发展的社会政治环境的影响。受访者根据各自的实践，对 Rela 和 HER 的治理体系表达了不同的解读，例如，表达了他们的担忧和不满，同时也强调了他们在这两个平台的治理实践中获得的积极经验。本研究通过提供对酷儿社交平台治理系统及其用户实践的见解，丰富了现有的平台治理研究。治理实践和文化的这些差异在很大程度上受到这两个平台发展的社会政治环境的影响。受访者根据各自的实践，对 Rela 和 HER 的治理体系表达了不同的解读，例如，表达了他们的担忧和不满，同时也强调了他们在这两个平台的治理实践中获得的积极经验。本研究通过提供对酷儿社交平台治理系统及其用户实践的见解，丰富了现有的平台治理研究。治理实践和文化的这些差异在很大程度上受到这两个平台发展的社会政治环境的影响。受访者根据各自的实践，对 Rela 和 HER 的治理体系表达了不同的解读，例如，表达了他们的担忧和不满，同时也强调了他们在这两个平台的治理实践中获得的积极经验。本研究通过提供对酷儿社交平台治理系统及其用户实践的见解，丰富了现有的平台治理研究。表达他们的担忧和不满，同时也强调他们在这两个平台的治理实践中获得的积极经验。本研究通过提供对酷儿社交平台治理系统及其用户实践的见解，丰富了现有的平台治理研究。表达他们的担忧和不满，同时也强调他们在这两个平台的治理实践中获得的积极经验。本研究通过提供对酷儿社交平台治理系统及其用户实践的见解，丰富了现有的平台治理研究。