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Tribal identity is an integral part of human psychology. In American society in particular, perhaps no form of entertainment is more conducive to tribal formation and identity than professional football, both for the players and the fans.  And of the 32 teams that constitute the National Football League, there is arguably no larger, more ubiquitous or vocal fanbase than that of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I myself have been blogging about the Steelers since 2005, and have seen firsthand just how improvements in communications technologies have facilitated the self organization and cohesion of the fanbase.

The World Wide Steelers Tribe site is a collection of the research and writings that I have done this quarter for COM 549 in the MCDM program at the University of Washington.  Stated most simply, the project is an examination of how in the online world, blogs are uniquely situated to fulfill this appetite for tribal and group identity formation. Please take a look around the contents of the site. Any feedback is of course appreciated.

-Michael Bean