Virtual Communities - Social Interaction - M/Cyclopedia of New Media

From M/Cyclopedia of New Media

Introduction

This form of online interaction is effectively an amalgamation of email, chat and public forms of communications (discussion forums and newsgroups). In effect, the primary aim of a virtual community is to mirror that of a face-to-face society. Howard Rheingold defines online communities as: social aggregations that emerge from the net when enough people carry on those public discussion long enough, with sufficient human feeling to form webs of personal relationships (Rheingold, 1993: 5).

In short, Rheingold sees communities as an extension of prolonged online interaction. With this progression comes the notion that the definition of community in terms of online communication is much broader than that which is applied in face-to-face society (Whittle,1998: 241). Online interaction has made it easier for people with similar interests to converge and unite across a large distance. The online definition of community is boundless by distance and is rather characterised by common interest.

Advantages

Break through constraints - As mentioned the wider interpretation of â€˜communityâ€™ means a break in the ordinary constraints that define a community. Therefore, online communities are to some extent, able to overcome such aspects as time, space, â€˜classâ€™, age and sex to create a society.

Social experience - This close connection also improves social experience as people become exposed to other cultures and environments they would otherwise normally never be exposed to. In this way, communities in cyberspace are more focussed on the social experience rather than an individuals own properties and characteristics.

Social connections - the all-encompassing advantage of online communities is the strengthening of social connections. Here, we see the convergence of all types of online interaction to provide the user with an all round integrated online social bond with other users (Rheingold, 1993).

Disadvantages

There are two main disadvantages of virtual communities.

Lack of accountability â€“ as with all forms of online interaction, the anonymity that the environment can provide allows users to effectively express their thoughts without fear of consequence. However, this in itself presents users with a dichotomy. Here is an environment where inhibitions can be lost but this loss of accountability can create problems for userâ€™s face-to-face interaction (Whittle, 1998).

Privacy â€“ this integration into an alternative society also raises issues of the loss of privacy. Userâ€™s who wish to gain the most out of the experience will often need to be prepared to share information about themselves (Porter, 1997).

Ultimately, behavioural characteristics of the users and how they choose to segregate their participation in online and offline communities determines the success of virtual communities.

Porter, D (1997) Internet Culture New York: Routledge Press ISBN 0415916844

Rheingold, H (1993) The Virtual Community. Reading: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company ISBN 0060976411

Whittle, D (1998) Cyberspace: The Human Dimension. New York : W H Freeman & Co. ISBN 0716783118