7. Virtual Identities - Virtual Community
Virtual communities consist of groups of people who have regular contact with one another in cyberspace. (Valtersson: 1999) A concept that was established in the early 1970’s, there are a number of definitions of virtual communities. One that dominates today is Howard Rheingold’s, in which he describes virtual communities as social aggregations that emerge from the Internet when enough people carry on these public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace. (Valtersson: 1999)
There are a number of reasons as to why involvement in virtual communities is so popular amongst society. According to Rheingold, there are three different modes involved in the reasoning behind participation in a virtual community.
2. The search for information
3. Find new ways to participate amongst communities
(Valtersson: 1999)
Time and space also play a large part in many peoples involvement in virtual communities. As many in today’s society find little time for social interaction, virtual communities allow participants to make contact with others in their own time with little constraints placed on the user. The same applies in accordance to space. It is considered by many that is often difficult to find groups of people offline who have similar interests, and, if they do it is often not possible to maintain communication without leaving ones home. Virtual communities however, offer more freedom in communicating with others. Virtual communities not only offer a far more vast range of groups and interests, they can all be accessed at home. (Valtersson: 1999) It allows people to meet online to do the things that other people do in the public community. (Hughes, Campbell: 2000) it is of great advantage to those who lack the ability to participate it the outside environment.
Other users are said to derive satisfaction from virtual communities because in the ‘real-world’ the sense of alienation and a lack of friends or peers is overwhelming. Virtual communities allow online friendships and online relationships to build between users without the need to disclose information about ones self that they feel may hinder the relationship.
Another enticement of virtual communities is the possibility for users to be able to take on Virtual Identities that are can be stronger, sexier, smarter or more powerful than they appear in reality. (Mizrach:2004)
The ability to pick and choose whom the user wishes to remain in contact with is also made possible through virtual communities. Participants have the ability to decide if they wish to proceed with their conversation, friendship or relationship. As Rheingold, states, logging onto online services and checking emails and chartrooms is similar to peeking into the pub, cafe, common room to see who’s there, and whether you want to stay around for a chat.
However, in order to gain participants in virtual communities, a number of views held by potential members must be overcome in order to entice participation. These include:
ï‚· Inexpensive
ï‚· Intellectually accessible
ï‚· Time at disposal of users.
References:
Hughes, I. Campbell, A. (2000) Virtual Communities [online] Available: http://www2.fhs.usyd.edu.au/arow/0/mll/virtcom.htm Accessed: 24/10/2004
Mizrach, S. (2004) What’s virtual about virtual culture? [Online] Available: http://www.fiu.edu/~mizrachs/virtual-enthnog.html Accessed: 28/10/2004
Valtersson, M. (1999) Virtual Communities [Online] Available: http://www.informatik.umu.se/nlrg/valter.html Accessed: 22/10/2004
Belinda Gatz 18:33, 9 Sep 2004 (EST) Belinda Gatz 10:35, 28 Oct 2004 (EST)
