This talk explores the socio-technical fabric of successful online communities, revealing how they are crafted not only through the intentional decisions and contributions of individuals, but also through the emergent patterns of interaction that evolve as a community grows. Drawing on large-scale empirical research of thousands of communities from Reddit and Twitch, this talk investigates some of the key processes that underlie the formation of robust online organizations: from the dynamics of successfully “founding” a new community, to the ways that volunteer moderators adaptively manage behavior and reinforce community integrity, to the dyadic relationships and broader sense of community that emerges from participants’ repeated interactions. The insights presented in this talk will not only clarify the mechanisms that underlie community quality, but also offer practical implications for designing and sustaining vibrant online environments.

Bio: 

Sanjay Kairam studies how social technologies shape online communities, with a focus on governance, moderation, and the design of scalable systems that foster healthier digital spaces. His research has introduced new frameworks for measuring community well-being, contributed to the design of AI-assisted community moderation, and supported user-driven governance at scale. Most recently, he led Research Science at Reddit, where he shaped the platform’s strategic approach to fostering new communities and improving governance structures for millions of users. He also launched Reddit for Researchers, a first-of-its-kind initiative providing external academics with access to platform-scale social data to study topics including online discourse, misinformation, and governance. Now at OpenAI, he is integrating HCI methodologies into the training and evaluation of large language models, ensuring that human-centered insights guide AI development.

Kairam holds a Ph.D. in computer science with a focus in Human-Computer Interaction from Stanford University, along with an M.A. in Philosophy and a B.S. in Mathematics. His work has been published in top venues such as CHI, CSCW, and ICWSM, and has shaped the strategies of leading online platforms.

In-person attendance is open to Princeton University faculty, staff and students. This talk will be open to the public via Zoom(Link is external). It will be recorded and posted here, on the CITP YouTube channel, and on the Princeton University Media Central channel. 

If you need an accommodation for a disability please contact Jean Butcher at [email protected] at least one week before the event.

Sponsorship of an event does not constitute institutional endorsement of external speakers or views presented.