Sharing Personal Content Online: Exploring Channel Choice and Multi-Channel Behaviors

People share personal content online with varied audiences, as part of tasks ranging from conversational-style content sharing to collaborative activities. We use an interview-and diary-based study to explore: 1) what factors impact channel choice for sharing with particular audiences; and 2) what behavioral patterns emerge from the ability to combine or switch between channels. We find that in the context of different tasks, participants match channel features to selective-sharing and other task-based needs, shaped by recipient attributes and communication dynamics. Participants also combine multiple channels to create composite sharing features or reach broader audiences when one channel is insufficient. We discuss design implications of these channel dynamics.