Online+communities

toc = = =**Definition**=

An online or [|virtual community] consists of a group of people that form a common interest or goal and communicate amongst each other via the Internet or in some form of electronic medium. Unlike a social community in the real world, the members of an online community do not have to know each other personally or even meet face to face; all that is required is for some form of interaction to take place virtually among a few people for it to be classified as an online or virtual community.

=Formation= = =

Online communities can be formed from two ways: **synchronous communication** or **asynchronous communication**.


 * Synchronous** communication involves //direct// interaction between two or more people at the same time. For example, chat rooms and [|instant messengers] allow for two or more people to discuss a topic with all users being virtually present at the same time.


 * Asynchronous** communication involves //indirect// interaction between two or more users that does not require for the users to be present at the same time. For example, in a [|forum], a [|message board] or e-mail, a user can post a discussion of a particular topic, and that message will be conveyed to the other users whenever they log on to that particular medium.

The act of joining online communities (whether from synchronous or asynchronous communication) can be characterized by the word self-subscribing; internet users interact voluntarily within the community.

=Online Communities and Cyberculture=

As mentioned by Manovich, online communities are an effective example of cyberculture. Cyberculture can be defined as the"study of various social phenomena associated with the Internet and other forms of network communication" (Manovich, 2002). It primarily focuses on the social aspects that come with people interacting using some form of network. Other examples of cyberculture can include: > = = = = =Examples=
 * online multi-player gaming
 * online identity
 * sociology and ethnography of email usage
 * gender and ethnicity on the web


 * The CCT300 wikispace - allows for students of the course to discuss topics in relation to the course
 * [|Hi5] - A website designed to expand one's personal network by getting to know friends of friends
 * [|Facebook] which allows for university and college communities to form
 * [|Myspace] which allows users to write blogs to express personal opinions and free for people to leave comments
 * [|MMTO] - Meet me in Toronto
 * Flickr - a website in which members can post images and share them with others
 * [|MySpace]

=__Benefits__=


 * [[image:cartoon2.gif align="right"]]Sharing of knowledge among people - learning is faster and more diverse
 * A sense of Belonging - People are more open to discuss certain topics when not having to do it face to face.
 * No geographical or time zone limitations

=__Disadvantages__= > =Related Wiki Links=
 * Difficult to schedule a time if you have users around the globe
 * Sometimes inexperienced chatters have difficulty keeping up with the pace
 * On the web, sometimes access issues make it difficult to build a room which will accommodate everyone

> > =**References**=
 * Social Networking
 * Facebook
 * MySpace

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtual_Community http://www.definethat.com/define/270.htm

Manovich, Lev. "New Media Field: a Short Institutional History." 2002. The MIT Press.

=Image References=

__MySpace, a Place for Friends__http://www.myspace.com/ Drawings are by Mike Rybinski and altered in Photoshop and Illustrator.