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Howard Reingold's Virtual Communities
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Summary: This site was an interview with Howard Reingold. Reingold is a pioneer on the internet. He developed the idea of a virtual community. He has also written several books on which can be downloaded from his site. The interview was done by Frontline and was transcribed and put up on this site.
Reingold speaks of virtual communites and likens them to real communities except that they transcend the normal definitions of a community. This community exist within the realm of cyberspace. In a virtual community people come together to form common inerest and get to know one another. Reingold states that this type of community allows interaction between participants who are even a continent away.
Reingold uses the analogy of a person who is house-ridden and cannot go out doors. With the virtual community and the computer this person is now able to interact and meet new people. It may even be a kind of healing procedure in which the members of the virtual community help to rehabilitate or at least ease the pain and loneliness of that person.
This site is very interesting and it give a good brief history of the internet. It helps to explain one of the most exciting and enigmatic phenomenon of the internet, virtual communities. Reingold started one of the first virtual communites over a decade ago. Though he does not touch on the negative side of virtual communites. He does not speak of the possibility of stalking and other illegal acts in which a person with just a nickname can hide.
This site is inteded for people who want to learn more about HOward Reingold and his other efforts on the internet. Also someone seeking a reference for a paper might find some useable quotes. The interview itself is very indepth and titalating. Yet sometimes I feel that Reingold is avoiding the questions posed to his and is answering just what he wants to talk about.
Reingold also shows his ability to be a visionary. He sees the future with the computer being used for ordinary taskes and streamlining information. With the rate that computer hardware becomes more affordable he foresees that small farming communities will use it to purchase good and save the community money.
1. http://rdz.stjohns.edu/~storm/
2. http://www.behavior.net/mhn/bolforum/message/32
5. http://netaxs.com/~jamesiii/papers.htm
Questions:
1. "You defined Virtual Communities as 'people getting together.' That's 'community' = people getting together. Then what is 'Virtual'?
-Dr.James
Response: I feel that virtual communities are much like the communities that we have in the real world. One creates a community either by living in a certain area or by joining it by a common interest. The second definition is where virtual communities fit in. They are a gathering of people who come together in a corner of the internet and discuss issues, chat and make friends. So what do I mean by virtual? Well virtual by definition means almost. As in Virtual Reality we see a reality that is almost like the real thing but it lets you transcend the normal frailties of the human body and go places otherwise not accessable by using our minds with the computer as a facillitator. So maybe this virtual community is more real than a real community.
2. "What are virtual communites?"
-Sean Marrs, Jay Donlin, Leon Mosher
Response: Virtual communites are, as I said above, a gathering of people in the virtual world of the computer.
3. "How do you become a member of a virtual community? What makes virtual communites special/unique?"
-Val Iinuma
Response: Well to start off you can join many of the virtual communites for free. Reingold offers membership into his Brainstorms community free of charge. You can also pay to be part of an ISP. These often set up virtual communites in which subscribers can take advantage of services. AOL is an example of this. Yahoo and Web Crawler offer chat rooms in which members can strike up conversations and are grouped according to interests. What make a virtual community special? Well to start off there is no limit to the possibilites a virtual community can accomplish if directed properly. I will leave it at that.
4. "Do you share the author's opinion on the internet, do you think that the internet should continue to be run by the people, or do you think that the government should intervene?"
-Shari Lieberman
Response: I do share the author's opinion that the internet should be run by the people. That is the reason for its remarkable growth over the past few years. Because anyone with access to a computer can be a publisher it gives the people tremendous power. Unfortunately people do not use that power wisely. The internet is a totally unique medium in which small voices can be heard or not. Government will have to eventually step in for the good of everyone. Laws are made to protect us. I have seen Lord of the Flies enough to know that if left unchecked the internet will self destruct.
5. "How did Reingold get interested in the internet? Do you think that the FBI should have the net under surveillance?"
-Evelyn Moss
Response: I do not know the answer to the first part of you question but from the sound of the interview I would surmise that Reingold was there from the very start of the internet. He seemed to be somewhat of a internet fanatic. He is considered one of the formost authorities on virtual communites and also the internet to a lesser degree. Do I think that the FBI should do surveillance on the internet? Well I guess so. Someone needs to monitor the internet and make it safe for the rest of us. But right now my understanding is that only pediophilles are targeted. So I don't think that I am affected. I think that people who continue to do things that they know are illeagal should be caught. At least something is being done.
6. "How are you personal feeling toward censorship and surveillance?"
-Carolyn Agmata
Response: I feel that they are good. Everyone talks about there being a big conspiracy for the government to keep tabs on its citizens. But say that if you don't want anything embrassing to be know then don't do it. I think that when the government progresses beyond surveillance and actually invading my privacy in a more harmful way then I will have some feeling or reaction to it. BUt right now I am happy to just surf the web and post my class projects.
7. "With the internet comes e-mail and now even e-cash. Is e-cash a good idea or a bad idea? Is it safe to handle cash intangibly and so simply? What do you suggest to the technophobies to overcome their fear of the internet?"
-Wilfred Lee
Response: I am not sure that these questions are relavant to my oral presentation. Were you listening? Anyway I will take a stab at answering these questions. I think that e-cash will go the way of the dinosaur because it will be used by those that have something to hide or do not have a credit card. E-cash is an invention to futhur protect one's anonymity. It erases the name and account numbers that come along with using a credit card. With e-cash one can easily hide what he or she is buying. There will be no record of the sale to be used as incriminating evidence. But I think that people who do not have credit cards will be the ones that use the e-cash the most. The internet is opening up a whole new world of commerce and the world is not equiped to handle such a rapid change. That is hy such things as e-cash are not accepted as readily as credit cards. I feel that the safety of the e-cash depends on the company that is selling it.
As for Technophobies I suggest that they try the internet. They can hook up at their local library or at their school. Get aquainted with it. Spend time learning and sleepless night staring at the glowing monitor. Then join the rest of us in this mad virtual world.
8. "What are Reingold's qualifications? Why is he considered an internet expert?"
-George Pederson
Response: Well he did write several books on the internet and its virtual communities. That alone should qualify his as an expert. He is recognized as starting one of the poineering virtual communities on the net. His Brainstorms community has become one of the larger internet communities, even fissioning and having regional communities as well.
9. "Do you think of the internet as a private or public medium? And what are the implications reguarding the right to privacy and security? What do you think of free computers?"
-Russ Muramatsu
Response: I think that the internet is alittle of both mediums, public and private. It is public in the sense that anyone can surf the internet but still there are private sectors in which one needs to supply as password or pay to get into a certain site. Because the internet itself is not owned by any one person it is a public medium in which ordinary people can get involved. The right to privacy and security are big issues because of this. People are not sure about their privacy and security because not enough time was spent on development of the internet and its rules. I think that free computers is a very good idea. I am not sure if the manufacturers will benefit but I am sure that I would like to benefit from it. I paid a lot for my computer and if someone told me I could get it free I would jump at the chance.
10. "IN your opinion, do you think that the government should have the right to censor materials on the web?"
-Jocelyn Manibusan
Response: I think that someone should censor what is on the web. And I believe that should be the parents of the children. Maybe the internet is just what this country need so that parents take an active role in bringing up their children. I am not advocating the lurking parent who constantly looks over their child's shoulder, I am advocating parent and child interaction so that there is less of a risk for the children. Parents need to take and active role in screening what their child looks at. Children are impressionable and should not be subjugated to certain images which can be seen on the web. I do not think that the government shoud have that right because it violates freedom of speech and could possibly lead to the extinction of the internet.
11. "How would you define a community on the internet? With that, how does it differ from 'real life' communities? How do you feel about censorship?"
-Craig Kawamura
Response: I feel that virtual communites are just like real life communities except that they lack the face to face interaction that we judge to be the norm. BUt the internet is a place that defies description and normal rules do not apply. So the definition of a virtual community has been stable throughout the existance of the internet. The community is based on a gathering of people. It is what brings people together on the internet. As for censorship I am not sure how I feel. I know that I woud not want someone telling me what I can or cannot see or hear or touch or smell or taste. I think that should be up to the individual. The government is not omnipotent or all knowledgeable. Because of this it may discriminate against a certain group of people and that would not be right.
12. "Should there be laws governing the internet?"
-Kyle Michibata
Response: I think that there all rules but they are so after the fact that no one cares to follow them. I think that if someone were to implement rules for the internet it would be met with great resistance. Once the NCSA turned the internet over to the people it lost control. It would be the same as trying to contain Pandora's box once it had been opened.
13. "How is the internet organized since no one own it? Is there any laws or regulations the internet has to follow?"
-Hyechin Kim
Response: These are very good questions. Unfortunately I do not know the answers to them. Sorry.
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