Core time mechanism for managing large-scale internet-based discussions on COLLAGREE

Much attention has been focused on the Internet-based discussions of crowd. In our previous work, we developed an open Web-based forum system called COLLAGREE that has facilitator support functions and deployed. We clarified the importance of a COLLAGREE-type Internet based town meeting and the facilitator role, which is one mechanism that can manage inflammatory language and encourage positive discussions. However, we found a problem that the number of posts and views decreased with a time lapse. In our work, we propose the core time mechanism to solve the problem. The core time mechanism provides setting of time for facilitator and participant to gather and discuss. By presenting the core time to the participants, there is expectation to encourage participation of discussion at that timing. We conducted a large-scale experiment for Aichi prefecture in 2016. We found that core time mechanism effects that discussion was continuously activated until the end.