Virtual Online Communities:

Do They Really Exist?

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Online Resources for Virtual Communities

What Are Virtual Online Communities?

An Online Community is usually where people get together to exchange information, talk to others, and express emotional feelings electronically. Just a few years ago this type of behavior would be unheard of, for the simple fact that it was almost impossible for the average person to gain access to such sophisticated equipment. However, nowadays one could be strolling in a shopping mall and still have access to their electronic mail or many other services. The electronic society that we now reside in is very different from the generation in which my parents were raised. Yet, they share one commonality. The desire to have some form of communication with others in society.

What Is Their Purpose?

Virtual Communities are another way in which people can communicate with one another. It is much more convenient and a lot faster than the customary types of communication, such as letters through the mail. However, with anything involving technology there are drawbacks. In cyberspace, one can easily become lost if they are not familiar with the software they are dealing with, or even worst, unfamiliar with the terminology involved. This is where the virtual community can be very helpful to the unsuspecting cyber-traveler. The most obvious purpose for virtual communities is communication between individuals and the exchange of information. Anyone who has ever been lost or confused while in cyber space can appreciate the assistance gained through virtual communities.

Who Creates Them & Why?

How Do Virtual Communities Operate?

Have you ever been in a situation where you do not feel comfortable with talking about personal problems that you may have encountered during the day? Well the great thing about virtual communities is that they are somewhat anonymous, unless the user is willing to reveal more about themselves. They also work quite well because information is always in demand and acquiring it through people one is familiar with is a lot more comforting. Being consumers in the electronic age has advantages and disadvantages that are likely to become more profound on society's everyday existence as time goes on. For example, virtual communities offer a variety of different services that is not accessible through any other means but the computer and the Internet. Imagine being in the middle of Ireland on a farm some fifty miles from your nearest neighbor. Now, imagine that same farmhouse with access to the Internet, and one can see the opportunities that may be at the fingertips of the keyboard operator.

How Do Virtual Communities Expand?

The Significance of Virtual Communities

I think that the most important aspect of virtual communities is its ability to act as a communication tool in the absence of realistic conditions. In other words, when people are not able to get out into the public domain a virtual community can be its link to it. It is in these virtual communities that people can do things that they would not ordinarily do while in public. For instance, they can assume a different identity (A male can become a female and vice versa), express emotional feelings more openly, and flirt with others. These are just some of the different personalities a person can undertake without ever worrying about being publicly chastised. It also offers the option of picking and choosing those individuals with whom one is most comfortable with, without hurting the feelings of those that they don't want to be associated with.

Would I Become A Member?

Well, I can honestly say that I don't think that I would be comfortable in an environment such as a virtual community. I realize that the community is based on anonymity and that bothers me a lot. One never really knows whom they are communicating with. In the paragraph preceding this one I stated that an individual had the ability to assume any characteristic they so desired. I had a problem with that concept because I am not absolutely sure whom I may be communicating with or what kind of agenda these people might have. I realize that it may sound like I am a little paranoid, however I feel a lot more accepting of an individual when I am able to talk and communicate with them on a personal level.

 Summary of Others Reports

Roy's report got my attention because he was straight forward in his analysis of what virtual communities represent. He went into detail on many of the issues concerning those involved with these communities. I also liked Aaron's viewpoint on how visitors to the web will continually seek out these virtual communities regardless how sophisticated the technology involved.

My Conclusion

I believe that in the future there will be communities (virtual and realistic alike) that will encompass our everyday lives. In these communities society will draw on the positives and negatives and try to gain insight on how these communities will influence our daily existence. I think that it can only enhance our way of life, even though there are people who believe that technology should not play such a major role in our lives. I remember my father saying quite a while back that "unless our generation learns to adapt to the changing times of technology, we will be doomed to a meager existence." However, in that same conversation he also stated that "we have to remember where we came from," and that's is what I really remembered.

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