Activity

Q F W W E B B A S E D T H R B M Y
O N L I N E A S D F G H J K L T P
A Z X C V B N M K L J H G F I E R
V B W T E C H N O L O G Y N T U
D I B P U I L
T N R O M S P
R R Y T T M G G
A F C U P O N N
V Q C A A C I I
E Q O L T E K K
L S I E G L R O
I Y K N R L O O
N I D R O P W C
G L Z E U H T B
R P T P O E V
C N Z S N T
I I C O M M O N I N T E R E S T E
VIRTUAL GROUPS OR
COMMUNITIES
 50 years ago the definition of a community
stressed the notion of geographic proximity and
face-to-face relationships, today’s communities are
much more broadly defined as “sets of social
relations among people.”
 What is virtual groups or communities?

• Virtual communities, also known as Internet

communities, these terms refer to Web-based
consumer groups.
• These communities provide their members with
access to extensive amounts of information,
fellowship, and social interaction covering an
extremely wide range of topics and issues.
• The exchange of knowledge that can take place within a virtual community
can help a good product sell faster and a poor product fail faster. Indeed, there
are a number of “knowledge exchanges” that permit registered members and
others to ask questions of experts on subjects germane to that exchange.
• Some virtual communities hosted by a commercial sources are aimed at
particular ethnic groups and contain online content targeted to a distinct
ethnic community.
• Startec Global Communications Corporation already
operates virtual communities for Arab, Iranian, Turkish,
Indian, and Chinese consumers
• In the United States, the number of individuals using
the Internet grew 50 percent from 2000 to 2003 (to 126
million users in 2003); during this same time frame, for
example the use of online banking went from 24
percent to 60 percent of Internet users, and the
gathering of health information rose from 46 percent
to 76 percent of Internet users.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Virtual
Communities
 Advantages
• The technology has the power to bring enormous leverage to ordinary people
• Provides a forum for people to discuss topics of interest
• Allows participation at the convenience of the participant
• Text based
• Allows participation by many different people from many different places
• Hides race, gender, sexual orientation, disabilities, etc.
• Promotes interaction with others that can lead to physical meetings
• Provides a sense of anonymity
• Some arenas are moderated
• Not a broadcast medium
• Media is not “fixed”
• No built in opinion restraints
 Disadvantages
• Requires knowledge of reading and writing and typing
• Discrimination is different, but not absent
• No built in opinion restraints
• Easy for a few to dominate discussion
• Obtaining network access can be a problem
• Must have a computer, or access to a computer
• Takes time
• Possibility of losing touch with reality
• Difficult to navigate and find items of interest
• Text based
• Provides a sense of anonymity