I think that not every site should have an online community, i think the phrase has been over used because it seems that pretty much any website which has a forum can become a online community. Is this right i wonder? I do however think that virtual communities are important because of social reasons- some argue that they replace the relationships relationships people have with others as people become more isolated from there neighbours ( Rheinsold 1993, Schuler 1996)
Virtual communities allow people to connect with others around the world who share the same interests, creating a global village, (this however doesn't always happen) which is really is like expanding a persons real life village community around the world! As people become more connected via the virtual communities, they get the benefits of social relationships with like minded others.
Virtual Settlement is a very usually concept because it shows how virtual communities can change into a settlement making more people involved, by putting their links to websites on the forum or blog space. It also provides a sense of community, just like for me facebook does as it keeps me in contact with all my friends at home or at uni, it makes me feel like i am still in touch with what is going on at home in Wiltshire! In forums and blogs you get the sense of a community as you are discussing the same topic and then may go on to become good friends with your fellow bloggers!
Lurkers i think are people who like to read what is going on and see what other people think about what is being said, i myself are one of these and i tend not to comment unless what i think hasn't been said. I do think that everyone has a different people within a virtual community from the lurkers tho those who post and comment all the time.
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Beth, try to check your typing before you upload your post. Often typing into Word with its spell and grammar checker, then checking before you cut-n-paste is a help?
ReplyDeleteI think you're right about the over-use of virtual community by some writers. Most are cyber settlments at best aren't they? Interestingly, RHEINGOLD invented the term to deal with online forums/networks that related to geographically situated communities -or at least existing (possibly weak) would-be communities. He didn't promote the online staying separated from real life -as many later theorists seem to imagine it would (nowadays, this tendency has dissipated and most theorists see virtual community as inevitably related to action IRL.