Czech University of Life Sciences

Faculty of Economics

IT for E-business
Virtual Communities

By Dumitru Trifan

Prague 2012
 Virtual Communities

Content :

1. Introduction.............................................................................................................................3
2. What is an Virtual Community ?............................................................................................3
3. Main Features..........................................................................................................................3
4. Impacts of virtual communities..............................................................................................4
4.1 On health...........................................................................................................................4
4.2 On civic participation........................................................................................................4
4.3'Online Learning'................................................................................................................4
5.Types of virtual communities..................................................................................................4
5.1 Internet message boards....................................................................................................5
5.2 Online chat rooms.................................................................................................................5
5.3 Virtual worlds....................................................................................................................5
5.4 Social network services.....................................................................................................5
6. Advantages of Internet communities......................................................................................5
7. Disadvantages of Internet communities..................................................................................6
8. The Development Of Online Communities............................................................................6
9. Important aspects of a successful online community.............................................................6
10. Problems...............................................................................................................................6
10.1 Trolling and Harassment.................................................................................................6
10.2 Privacy.............................................................................................................................7
10.3 Hazing............................................................................................................................7
10.4 Legal................................................................................................................................7
Conclusions.................................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................8

2
 Virtual Communities

1. Introduction

Social psychology has found that people join groups for feelings of affiliation,
belonging to them, and for information aid in goal achievement. Groups gives individuals
information and self-identity, values, attitudes, and notions of accepted behaviors. For similar
purposes, people seek to join groups in the online environment of virtual communities. The
traditional definition of a community is of a geographically circumscribed entity. Virtual
communities are dispersed geographically, but some online communities are linked
geographically, and are known as community websites. In the online world, social interactions
no longer have to be face-to-face or based on proximity. Millions of people on every
continent participate in the computer-mediated social groups. The purpose of this paper is to
make an overview on these communities and on the issues linked to them.

2. What is an Virtual Community ?

In order to understand this type of communities, first of all we must difine them. A
virtual community is a social network of individuals who interact through specific media
channel, in order to pursue common interests. The term virtual community is attributed to the
book by Howard Rheingold, 1993. The book, introdukce his adventures on the WELL 1 and
into a range of computer-mediated communication and social Gross 2. An online community
can take the form of an information system where anyone can post 3, or one where only a
restricted number of people can post 4. Virtual communities may synthesize Web 2.0
technologies with the community, and therefore have been described as Community 2.0.
Many software means are used separately or in combination, like text-based chat rooms,
voice, video or avatars use. In general, there are two kinds of communication among
members: message postings and real-time chat. Many Web sites, like Geocities use
information exchanges. Internet Relay Chat is a system used by many Web sites for real-time
chat. Online relationships are based on shared interests, similar social characteristics, or the
need for communication. The range of activities is larger. People chat, exchange property
(virtual), ideas, they plan, make friends, even fall in love. They do everything like they meet
face-to-face, but by using computers.

3. Main Features

The meaning of virtual communities can change depending on who and how is defining
them, however, there are things that emphasize a community:
- Content: articles, information, and news about a topic of interest to a group of people.
- Forums or newsgroups and email (communication possibilities)5.
- Social groups
- Online, computer environment
- Different types of virtual interaction
- Other posibilities
Examples: Buddy Pic, Something Awful, Gaia, ETA.
1
The Well (www.well.com), 1985; Usenet newsgroups, 1979, - first virtual communities not based on WWW.
2
The technologies included Usenet, MUDs (Multi-User Dungeon) and their derivatives MUSHes and MOOs,
Internet Relay Chat (IRC), chat rooms and mailing lists.
3
Bulletin board.
4
Weblogs.
5
Including instant communication also.
3
4. Impacts of virtual communities

Virtual communities have a remarqued impact on the life of the participants whch is
emphasized on their social activity, on their health, on their cognitive development and so on. We try
to define this impact using main categories:

4.1 On health

Health issues are one of the side effects of participation in the virtual communities.
Concerns the interaction, there is also verbal aggression and inhibitions, promotion of suicide
and issues concerning privacy. Existing studies, generally, did not emphasize many negative
effects. Some studies looked into health related communities and their impact on those people
which suffer health issues. Such communities have grown in popularity, so now many health
care providers are forming groups for their patients, even providing areas where questions
may be directed to doctors. Involvement in respectives provide the means for patients to a
better understanding and behavior towards treatment and health practices. In general, studies
indicate that virtual communities can provide a benefit to its users concerning health issues.

4.2 On civic participation

Virtual communities have a direct impact on civic participation. A part of members of

these communities do something in real life at least once in a period to support a cause related
to their online life. Many members involve in civic causes since they start to participate. The
members try to sign into their respective communities every day and to interact. Also there is
an impact on political views, which is important for the democratic societies.

4.3'Online Learning'

Other impact of online communities is online learning. It simply refer to sites dedicated
to learning, or the way people can get an education online. There are possibilities to take
classes online through a university, and get a degree. But arrise some question about the
credibility of this. Online learning bring together a groups of people, and even that it is
asynchronous learning, if an online forum is set up using good tools and strategies, it can be
very effective. Online experience enhanced students learning. Social networking sites can
provide a positive environment for learning.

5.Types of virtual communities

There are many types of classifications of online communities, concerning their

structure. The technical aspects, such as whether pages can be created by many, or whether
only certain users can edit them 6, and so on. We can classified them accordingly to rituals and
stages of online community interaction, or accordingly to particular patterns of behavior of
particular users. From another perspective, there are two types of them: dependent and self-
sustained. The dependent are those who use the virtual community as extensions of
themselves, interacting with people they already know. Self-sustained are communities where
relationships are formed and maintained in the proces. For all respectives, there is the issue of
creating identity and reputation in the online community. However, we can clearly define
some types by definition.
6
Is the case with most weblogs.
4
5.1 Internet message boards

An online message board is a forum where people discuss thoughts on different topics.
The online message centers give posibility to users to choose which thread, or board of
discussion, they want to read or contribute to. User also can start a discussion by making a
post on a thread. Responses do not need to take place right away, not instantaneous. There can
be almost infinite number of users and they can be unknow. The lack of status presented also
encourage people because of privacy.

5.2 Online chat rooms

The online chat rooms allow people to talk to whoever was online at the same time they
were, with immediat responses. The original development by CompuServe CB hosted 14
channels in which users could talk in real time. The idea led to creation of chat rooms. Users
could join an existent, or start a new one. Real time chatting was also brought into online
games. Chat rooms are now provided by Yahoo, MSN, AOL and so on. Users communicate
through text based messaging. The components usually are an input box, a message window,
and a participant list. Also the conversation can be tracked.

5.3 Virtual worlds

These are the most interactive of all virtual community forms. People are connected by
living as an avatar in a online-based world. Users create their avatar character and control
their life and interactions in the 3-D virtual world. Similar to a computer game, but there is no
objective for the players. A virtual world simply gives users the opportunity to build and
operate a fantasy life. Avatars can talk to one another and have almost all interactions people
would have in the reality. Another use for virtual worlds has been in business
communications. Enterprise controls allow the meeting host to dictate permissions of the
attendees such as who can speak, or who can move 7. These worlds have stricter controls and
allow functionality like muting individual participants, desktop sharing, access lists and so on.

5.4 Social network services

Social networking services are a website or software platform that focuses on creating
and maintaining relationships. Ex.: Facebook, Twitter, and Myspace and so on. In these sites,
one creates a profile / account, and adds friends or follow them. These websites also allow
participants to keep up to date with their friends and acquaintances activities.

6. Advantages of Internet communities

Online communities offer the advantage of instant information exchange, allows people
to engage in many activities, users have access to thousands of specific discussion groups.
Another benefit is that these communities can give users the feeling of membership and
belonging. They can give and receive support, and economically it is simple and cheap to use.
Virtual communities also can help in commercial transactions, by connectings buyers directly
to suppliers. Understanding and using virtual communities is also of interest to organizations
that want to tap into their information and revenue increasing posibilities.

7
Different companies create business based virtual worlds including Second Life.
5
7. Disadvantages of Internet communities

The information is posted without being reviewed for correctness. It is difficult to

choose reliable sources. There is no filter of information. There have to be a caution with
users because predators look for victims who are vulnerable to online identity theft.

8. The Development Of Online Communities

There are different factors to consider when developing an virtual community. Some
are: communication, education, culture, democracy, opportunity, equality within the
economy, information, sustainability, and so on. The developers focuses to create a
technology that adheres to the interests, to social and basic needs, of the community. It is
important to have the right technologies necessary to keep members interested, asset
management, and uphold community relations. Everything needs to be organized. In general,
there are 3 parts to building an virtual community: starting it, encouraging online interaction,
and moving to the direction of a self-sustaining interactive environment. Communities with
clear topics and easy access are more effective. Successful online communities tend to be able
to function self-sufficiently.

9. Important aspects of a successful online community

A successful online community will combine qualities of all existing types of them:
communities of transaction, of interest, of fantasy, and of relationship. Communities of
transaction are linked to process of buying and selling products. Communities of interest
involve the online interaction of users on a specific topic. The fantasy ones encourage people
to participate in online alternative forms of reality 8. Communities of relationship reveal and
protect users identity while allowing them to communicate with others. In general, the main
features in virtual online communities that attracts people is the communication environment,
the relationships, nurtured virtually, and a sense of belonging to a group.

10. Problems

Virtual communities are new and unexplored areas. Even that they can promote many
positive qualities, like relationships without regard to race, religion, gender, or geography,
they can also lead to some problems, linked to risk of perception, an uncertainty, and so on, in
the following circumstances: performances, finance, oportunity / time, safety, social and
psychological loss. Now the real life and the online life are not completely separate any more.
Now there is a problem linked to identity formation with the ambiguous real-virtual life mix,
which lead to identity deception.

10.1 Trolling and Harassment

One of the most common problem with virtual communities is the harassment, meaning
threatening or offensive content aimed at known friends or strangers through ways of
technology. Where this posting is done for fun, then it is known as trolling. Sometimes
trolling is executed in order to harm others. Virtual harassment affect adolescents most, due to
their risk-taking behavior and decision-making processes. Another form of harassment is

8
I.e. see virtual worlds, the section at the page 5.
6
called flaming. Flaming is defined as using insulties, swearing or offensive language. Cyber
bullying is also prominent virtual. It is defined as willful and repeated harm inflicted towards
another people. Different states, created laws that do not allow harassment on, near, or off
school grounds which interferes with the school operation or the rights of students.

10.2 Privacy

Another problem is privacy. There is a very unclear distinction between private and public
information. Many social network ask for users to give personal informatik for their profiles. Of
course, users can control this information by privacy settings. However even that a user can keep his
or her personal information private, his or her activity is free to the whole web to access. Also social
networking sites create a tracking record of the users activity.

10.3 Hazing

Members of different elite online communities use hazing to emphasize their power,
produce inequality, and instill the newcomers loyalty, participating in intimidation, and so on.

10.4 Legal

Laws must continually adapt to the changes of social media law makers need to take an
interdisciplinary approach in order to create effective policy whether it is regulatory, for
public safety, or otherwise. Laws governing online behavior are also a challenge to
lawmakers, they must work to enact laws which protect the public. In US are two of the most
important laws dealing with legal issues of virtual communities, especially social networking
sites are Section 512c of the Digital Millennium Act and Section 230 of the Communications
Decency Act. First removes liability for copyright material from sites that let users post
content, so long as there is a possibility by which the copyright owner can remove the content.
The second gives protection from any liability as a result from the publication provided by
another party. For example defamation and other claims. Copyright law is being challenged
and debated in the present time, esspecially concerning intellectual property.

Conclusions

Virtual communities represent a new way of social interaction. Of course it is not the
same as the real one through meetings and physical contact, but is offers a range of
opportunities to involve in social interaction through online technology. Until now, it touched
the level of creating avatars of the users in 3-D format, giving them all the interaction
possibilities in the virtual Word. Even that these communities provide many opportunities,
there are also a range of problems linked to privacy, legal, hazing, and others. There are
different ways to clasify them, but one common way is to consider the possibilities given to
the user, these can be from simple informatic sparing to participating into the virtual worlds.
In general, online communities have a positive impact on the society, but there stiil is a need
for their improvement.
References
Hof, R. D., Browder, S., Elstrom, P. (1997, May 5). Internet Communities. Business Week.
Pears, Iain. 1998. An Instance of the Fingerpost. London: Jonathan Cape.
7
Anderson, Benedict. 1991. Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism. London: Verso.
Baym, N. K. (2000). Tune in, log on: Soaps, fandom and online community. Thousand Oaks:
Sage Publications, Inc.

Figallo, C. (1998). Hosting Web communities: Building relationships, increasing customer

loyalty, and maintaining a competitive edge. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Furlong, M. S. (1989). An electronic community for older adults: The SeniorNet Network.
Journal of Communication, 39(3), 145-153.

Rheingold, H. (1993b). The virtual community: Homesteading on the electronic frontier.

Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company.

Ridings, C., Gefen, D., & Arinze, B. (2002). Some antecedents and effects of trust in virtual
communities. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 11(3-4), 271-295.

Thibaut, J. W., & Kelley, H. H. (1959). The social psychology of groups. New York: John
Wiley & Sons.

Turner, J. C. (1978). Social comparison, similarity and ingroup favouritism. In H. Tajfel

(Ed.), Differentiation between social groups (pp. 233-250). UK: Academic Press.

Watson, G., & Johnson, D. (1972). Social psychology: Issues and insights. Philadelphia: J. B.
Lippincott.

Wellman, B. (1997). An electronic Group is virtually a social network (g. f. D. library,

Trans.). In S. Kiesler (Ed.), Culture of the Internet . Mahawah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.

Catherine M. Ridings, Virtual Community Attraction: Why People Hang Out Online. Lehigh
University David Gefen Drexel University. November 2004.
What is a Cyberculture / Virtual Community? (March 2012) available from
http://classweb.gmu.edu/nclc350/sp04/def-virt-comm.html.