An online community, also called an internet community or web community, is a community whose members engage in computer-mediated communication primarily via the Internet. Members of the community usually share common interests. For many, online communities may feel like home, consisting of a "family of invisible friends".
An online community can act as an information system where members can post, comment on discussions, give advice or collaborate. Commonly, people communicate through social networking sites, chat rooms, forums, email lists, discussion boards and social media platforms. These includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, Reddit, and dedicated professional communities like LinkedIn, among others. People can also join online communities through video games, blogs, and virtual worlds.
The rise in popularity of Web 2.0 websites has allowed for easier real-time communication and connection to others and facilitated the introduction of new ways for information to be exchanged. Yet, these interactions may also lead to a downfall of social interactions or deposit more negative and derogatory forms of speaking to others, in connection, surfaced forms of racism, bullying, sexist comments, etc. may also be investigated and linked to online communities.
One scholarly definition of an online community is this: "a virtual community is defined as an aggregation of individuals or business partners who interact around a shared interest, where the interaction is partially supported or mediated by technology (or both) and guided by some protocols or norms".Porter, Constance Elise. (2004). "A Typology of Virtual Communities: A Multi-Disciplinary Foundation for Future Research".
Community aspect
The traditional definition of a community is of geographically circumscribed entity, such as a neighbourhood or village. Virtual communities are usually dispersed geographically, and thus do not satisfy the traditional definition. Some online communities are linked geographically. A different definition of a community is a group of people that has a boundary between members and non-members. By this definition, an online or virtual community is a community. Online communities resemble offline communities in the sense that both types provide support, information, friendship and acceptance between strangers. While in a virtual community space, users may be expected to feel a sense of belonging and a mutual attachment among the members that are in the space.
One of the most influential part about virtual communities is the opportunity to communicate through several different websites or other online networks. Virtual communities provide alternative methods of communication to older technology including postal services, fax machines, and speaking on the telephone. Early research into the existence of online communities was concerned with social ontology: the nature of virtual reality and to what degree the groups of people communicating online should be categorised or considered to exist. In the seventeenth century, scholars associated with the Royal Society of London formed a community through the exchange of letters. "Community without propinquity", coined by urban planner Melvin Webber in 1963 and "community liberated", analyzed by Barry Wellman in 1979 began the modern era of thinking about non-local community. As well, Benedict Anderson's Imagined Communities in 1983, described how different technologies, such as national newspapers, contributed to the development of national and regional consciousness among early nation-states. Some authors that built their theories on Anderson's imagined communities have been critical of the concept, claiming that all communities are based on communication and that virtual/real dichotomy is disintegrating, making use of the word "virtual" problematic or even obsolete.
Purpose
Virtual communities are used for a variety of social and professional groups; interaction between community members vary from personal to purely formal. Communication tools like email lists can serve both personal and professional functions within virtual communities.
Digital communities (web communities but also communities that are formed over, e.g., Xbox and PlayStation) provide a platform for a range of services to users. It has been argued that they can fulfill Maslow's hierarchy of needs. They allow for social interaction across the world between people of different cultures who might not otherwise have met, with offline meetings also becoming more common. Another key use of web communities is access to and the exchange of information. With communities for even very small niches, it is possible to find people also interested in a topic and to seek and share information on a subject where there are no such people available in the immediate area offline. This has led to a range of popular sites based on areas such as health, employment, finances and education. Online communities can be vital for companies for marketing and outreach.
Unexpected and innovative uses of web communities have also emerged with social networks being used in conflicts to alert citizens of impending attacks. The UN sees the web and specifically social networks as an important tool in conflicts and emergencies.Sawyer, Rebecca, "The Impact of New Social Media on Intercultural Adaptation" (2011). Senior Honors Projects. Paper 242. https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/srhonorsprog/242
Web communities have grown in popularity; 6 of the 20 most-trafficked websites were community-based sites. The amount of traffic to such websites is expected to increase as a growing proportion of the world's population attains Internet access.
Internet communities offer the advantage of instant information exchange that is not possible in a real-life community. This interaction allows people to engage in many activities from their home, such as: shopping, paying bills, and searching for specific information. Users of online communities also have access to thousands of specific discussion groups where they can form specialized relationships and access information in such categories as: politics, technical assistance, social activities, health (see above) and recreation. Virtual communities provide an ideal medium for these types of relationships, as information can easily be posted and response times can be very fast. Another benefit is that these types of communities can give users a feeling of membership and belonging. Users can give and receive support, and it is simple and cheap to use.
Categorization The idea of a community is not a new concept. On the telephone, in ham radio and in the online world, social interactions no longer have to be based on proximity; instead they can literally be with anyone anywhere. The study of communities has had to adapt along with the new technologies. Many researchers have used ethnography to attempt to understand what people do in online spaces, how they express themselves, what motivates them, how they govern themselves, what attracts them, and why some people prefer to observe rather than participate. Online communities can congregate around a shared interest and can be spread across multiple websites.Baym, Nancy. "The new shape of online community: The example of Swedish independent music fandom."
Some features of online communities include: Content: articles, information, and news about a topic of interest to a group of people. Forums or newsgroups and email: so that community members can communicate in delayed fashion. Chat and instant messaging: so that community members can communicate more immediately.
Development Online communities typically establish a set of values, sometimes known collectively as netiquette or Internet etiquette, as they grow. These values may include: opportunity, education, culture, democracy, human services, equality within the economy, information, sustainability, and communication.hci.uma.ptPreece03-OnlineCommunities-HandbookChapt.pdf An online community's purpose is to serve as a common ground for people who share the same interests.
Online communities may be used as calendars to keep up with events such as upcoming gatherings or sporting events. They also form around activities and hobbies. Many online communities relating to health care help inform, advise, and support patients and their families. Students can take classes online and they may communicate with their professors and peers online. Businesses have also started using online communities to communicate with their customers about their products and services as well as to share information about the business. Other online communities allow a wide variety of professionals to come together to share thoughts, ideas and theories.
Fandom is an example of what online communities can evolve into. Online communities have grown in influence in "shaping the phenomena around which they organize" according to Nancy K. Baym's work. She says that: "More than any other commercial sector, the popular culture industry relies on online communities to publicize and provide testimonials for their products." The strength of the online community's power is displayed through the season 3 premiere of BBC's Sherlock. Online activity by fans seem to have had a noticeable influence on the plot and direction of the season opening episode. Mark Lawson of The Guardian recounts how fans have, to a degree, directed the outcome of the events of the episode. He says that "Sherlock has always been one of the most web-aware shows, among the first to find a satisfying way of representing electronic chatter on-screen." Fan communities in platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit around sports, actors, and musicians have become powerful communities both culturally and politically. The My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom notably has adopted its own numerous online platforms and communities, partly owing to its roots from 4chan, where adult fans of the show (commonly known as bronies) were banned from posting Friendship Is Magic-related content from 2011 to 2012. Some show staff, including show creator Lauren Faust and screenwriter M.A. Larson, have hosted Q&A sessions on forums like /mlp/.
Discussions where members may post their feedback are essential in the development of an online community.Cothrel, Joseph, Williams, L. Ruth "Four Smart Ways to Run Online Communities" Online communities may encourage individuals to come together to teach and learn from one another. They may encourage learners to discuss and learn about real-world problems and situations, as well as to focus on such things as teamwork, collaborative thinking and personal experiences.
Blogs Blogs are among the major platforms on which online communities form. Blogging practices include microblogging, where the amount of information in a single element is smaller, and liveblogging, in which an ongoing event is blogged about in real time.
The ease and convenience of blogging has allowed for its growth. Major blogging platforms include Twitter and Tumblr, which combine social media and blogging, as well as platforms such as WordPress, which allow content to be hosted on their own servers but also permit users to download, install, and modify the software on their own servers. 23.1% of the top 10 million websites are either hosted on or run WordPress.
Forums