Thursday, April 7, 2011
Blog 11
Online communities essentially connect online and continue their relationship sharing their lives over the internet. They compare interests, resources and information based on their connection. Bayam discusses how communities on the internet were first formed to build local community and establish relations through interaction on the internet. The norms were re-established as communities formed to support and develop their common ground amongst people and their online friends. A community is formed because people have eachother to share their lives with in a way that offers support and reassurance. They also share interests such as hobbies and activities. Online communities offer people to spread out not only in their smaller offline communities but around the world to connect with people that they share interests. I would say that the only online community I have participated in besides social networking would be this class. The idea that we are all taking this class together, reading the same material and then reading other people's take on the material we read is in some way a community. I feel like we are actively participating in trying to better understand the power of communication through the internet and in this it unites are discussions to some degree. I have never been involved in any type of gaming or interest group communities because I don't have much free time being a stay at home mom. However, I think these types of relationships are important for introverted people that need an outlet that they can release and connect in that they otherwise could not do. These communities fit in our lives because it alows outlets for us to better discover those with common interests as well as rediscover ourselves through connection. For example, I am taking three classes this semester just for fun. People have looked at me like I am crazy but I enjoy it. I have a Master's degree and wanted to take some graduate level classes in Communication because I thought it would be interesting. This class/community has been a way for me to read and learn among other adults. Sometimes, after a long day with play doh and cooking meals, it is fun for me to feel like an educated adult contributing to academic conversations. It is an outlet and very much an online community.
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So you also mention this class as being a type of community--do you feel that way with other classes you are taking? If not, what separates this class's community from others lack thereof?
ReplyDeleteI to Nikki agree that taking this class is involved around social networking. I mean, we have chat sessions, we have lots of assignments that we have to follow blogs and be online to do assigned papers. So, yes this class is definitely social networking around the clock.
ReplyDeleteKris, yes, I do feel that the other class I am taking are communities as well. I do feel that they are different though because there are faces with names as well as personalities and people can concure information about eachother in the classroom. In this class there a lot of assumptions about the community (ex. Lauren may be an animal lover bc she has a cheetah as her icon and has chosen a pet site for the analysis). The lack of community may be that the details are left out that are in the classroom. (ex. a girl in my class always drinks starbucks and seems tired...we have talked and her job wears her out...more time to connect).
ReplyDeleteSeems like online communities can serve many purposes and people have many reasons for joining or following an online community. Seems like the internet has opened Pandora's box for communication. How did people fulfill the need that the internet fills before there was an internet?
ReplyDeleteI think when your in any class it's a community. The reasoning being is,everyone share the same interest in the class. Everyone is there to learn the subject. So I guess that will make it a community. Rather it's online or f2f.
ReplyDeleteYou know as I think about it, I feel my other classes are communities also; In this class communication between us is required because of the course work. Other classes, I feel the instructor determines if and what type of community based on the class expestations. For instance, are there group assignments? Or does everyone work alone? Also, I find that people that I have been in other classes with, I tend to migrate to them.
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