Reading 5

Online Communities

What type of communitiy have you experienced online? Mostly my own. I usually only talk to friends from "real life" online instead of meeting new people there. Sometimes they will add a few friends into the mix that I've never met, but they are still friends of real friends, so not just some stranger.

In high school I used to chat with all sorts of wierd people online that I had never met. I've since learned my lesson. No more gaming for me.

How have they differed from off-line communities? Not much, for me they are mainly the same people. Off-line is way more enjoyable of a way to spend with friends.

What characteristics of the Internet affect growth, power, and effectiveness of online communities? First, the people need to have something in common. Like knitting. There is some common bond to bring the people together. Second, it has to be moderated to keep the "bad" folk out that would ruin it for the rest. Finally, people have to be able to foster a community through chat/bb/messaging ect. If those are in place, I think you'll very easily have a happy little online community.