Why do online communities organise themselves?
Online communities organise themselves due to the convenience the online realms offer in they provide in offering freedoms which can not be obtained through the physical world. Terry Flew highlighted that due to society, there became a decline in opportunities to express oneself in democratic participation and community formation. In contrast, the internet provides a community base for finding others who share similar interests and opinions which may have not be discovered otherwise to geographic limitations and the use of a decentralised network. In these virtual cultures, there is more leverage on the issues and artefacts presented than there would be allowed in the public eye. Online communities have both personal and intellectual diversity, which all participants are able to share their knowledge and views on issues and artefacts, allowing a collective intelligence to continuing build, review and revise content. Users not only have the ability to contribute to the community, but are also able to the form friendships with others within the virtual culture. As people continue to involve themselves in these communities, new identities are formed with each individual which is not appointed, but instead are earned by the engagement in the online community.
How do online communities organise themselves?
Amy Jo Kim (2000) highlights that a gathering place for online communities can be found in many various forms, ranging from a mailing list to web site (p27). All of these however, have a purpose, which keeps the community together and allows it to thrive. This purpose is usually a main interest that all members of the community can identify with and the interest provides a platform in which all users can regularly come together and contribute to, regardless of geographical placement, cultural backgrounds or social status. Kim describes there being four main types of the online communities which are geographic, demographic, topical and activity based, which often overlap with one another (2000, p5-6). Some examples of these include:
Women’s Health – Health BoardsThis forum is based around particular woman’s health problems and queries that members may wish to talk about. This community allows others to share their knowledge and opinions on particular topics which others post to the website.
World of WarCraft Focused around the world of warcraft online game, the main site also allows players to communicate with each other outside the gaming in forums to state queries and offer solutions to other players.
DeviantART
DeviantART is both a topical and activity based community, for it not only permits users to submit and comment on each others art, but also allows postings on world art news and discoveries which may be of interest to the community.
What does it require to form online communities?
There have been numerous authors who have stated the qualities that aid in making successful online communities. Amy Jo Kim notes that there are three underlying principles that provide for her strategies in building communities which are Design for growth and change, Create and maintain feedback loops and Empower your members over time (2000, xv-xvi). All three of these principles relate back directly to the user, so that they are able to use the social network to there best capabilities to allow for maximum involvement in the community.
Mike Godwin (cited in Flew, 2002, 70) also proposed ten principles for making a successful virtual culture. Such principles as “use software that promotes group discussion” and “let the users resolve their own disputes” focus particularly on letting the community develop its own topics and issues depending on their particular interests in the community. This also permits members to form their own roles depending on individual contribution. Godwin’s principles also focus on allowing older information to be stored and available, should any individual requires it. This allows users to constantly build upon, reuse and revise the collective intelligence of the community.
1 comment:
I think communities have always had some level of organisation, and perhaps physical communities and interest groups will always exist, however the development of online communities, rather than thinking of it in terms of either/or, should be thought of in terms of adding a new aspect to culture and social activity. We can be a part of local interest groups, and also national and global ones.
I agree with your points about online communities and how they are allowing people to 'operate and react by themselves' and the alterations of those reactions depending on which group they are with to avoid negative judgement (unless that is what they were aiming for!).
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