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An Online Community (also: Virtual Community) is a network of people on the internet who come together in a virtual space to communicate, learn, or work together. Participating in an online community also is a common way to interact with people with shared interests, for example within fan communities. Online-gamers can also form online communities to interact. Social media also operate as platforms for online communities on which people can connect to each other and for a network.


There have always been different notions about the term online community, depending on different authors, their backgrounds and perspectives. According to Howard Rheingold a virtual community exists of "a group of people who may or may not meet one another face-to-face, and who exchange words and ideas through the mediation of computer bulletin boards and networks"[1]. Jenny Preece works with an understanding of term online community as "any virtual social space where people come together to get and give information or support, to learn, or to find company.” In terms of location and scale Preece notes that this online community “can can be local, national, international, small or large" [2]. Included in all definitions and a key element of online communities is the aspect of "connection to others through the Internet" and the exchange of information and social support[3]. When defining online communities in terms of technical aspects, the supporting software is a crucial element. Examples of assignments are "chats, bulletin boards, listserver, UseNet News or web-based communities"[4].

Reasons

The are various reasons for people taking part or being active in an online community. These reasons are often the same reasons as why people participate in "offline"-communities, since the word community has the same meaning in both cases. The most important reasons for people to join an Online Community are:

  • The exchange and sharing of information
  • Creating friendships and companionships
  • Search for social support
  • Entertainment [5]

There is a huge number of online communities devoted to special interests which offer great opportunities for bonding with like-minded persons[6].

Benefits

Besides these possibilities that online communities offer to actual members, there can occur benefits for non-members as well – either as public goods or private goods. Examples for public goods which can benefit the society as a whole are open source software, product reviews or encyclopedia pages. Private goods on the other hand may benefit an organization that convened the community in the first place and can occur in the form of e. g. suggestions for product improvements or new product designs[7].

Types

Since the reasons for participating in an online communities are diverse, there naturally occur different types of online communities. Armstrong and Hagel supplied four different types:

  • Communities of transactions: In these communities people can easily buy or sell goods or services.
  • Communities of interest: Within these communities people come together to share their interest for a certain topic, good, debate, or else. Transactions may also be involved.
  • Communities of fantasy: In these communities participants can create a personal identity, story, or else according to what they are interested in.
  • Communities of relationship: These communities focus on often very personal experiences while mostly supplying the participants with a kind of anonymity[8].



References

  1. ^ Rheingold, Howard (1994). A Slice of Life in My Virtual Community. In L. M. Harasim (Ed.), Global Networks: Computers and International Communication (pp. 57-80). Cambridge: MA: MIT Press.
  2. ^ Jenny Preece (2001) Sociability and usability: Twenty years of chatting online. Behavior and Information Technology Journal. P. 3
  3. ^ Ridings, Catherine M., and David Gefen. "Virtual community attraction: Why people hang out online." Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication 10.1 (2004): 00-00.
  4. ^ Jenny Preece (2001) Sociability and usability: Twenty years of chatting online. Behavior and Information Technology Journal. P. 3
  5. ^ Kraut, Robert E., Resnick, Paul (2011). Building Successful Online Communities. Evidence-Based Social Design. The MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  6. ^ Tippins, Robyn and Marquit, Miranda Marquit (2010). Community 101: How to Grow an Online Community. Happy About. California, USA. p. 7
  7. ^ Kraut, Robert E., Resnick, Paul (2011). Building Successful Online Communities. Evidence-Based Social Design. The MIT Press. Cambridge, Massachusetts.
  8. ^ Lesser, Eric; Fontaine, Michael; Slusher, Jason (2011). Knowledge and Communities. Rutledge. New York, USA. P. 85
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