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Tyler · 05-18-2014

1) In your opinion, what is an online community?

A group of people who share a common interest and gather to converse about it on a social website.

2) Where do you think the first online community was formed?

I don't know where it was formed, but I would guess one of the earlier popular online communities would have been YouTube or MySpace.

3) Do you believe online communities display social patterns similar or differing from real life communities? Why?

I would say that people in online communities are more comfortable speaking their mind than people in a real life social community. The fear of being judged for it is far less than a real life community.

4) Do you believe online communities are safe?

Yes and no. You never know who is roaming around online communities so it is wise to be on guard by avoiding sharing an excessive amount of personal information. It all depends on who is part of the community.

5) What characteristics make up a good online community? What keeps you hooked?

Kindness, acceptance, and guidelines are three key factors. Everyone should feel welcome and able to share their opinions on particular matters without having the fear of being ridiculed for it. However, there should be enforced guidelines for rule breakers who do not treat others properly, share explicit content, and so forth.

6) What do you think are characteristics that make a good community and a bad one?

Unorganized, uncaring, and thoughtless are some aspects that make a community bad. Bad communities often ignore the fact that there is another person behind the computer screen with feelings. They often treat other members poorly and often lack strict guidelines for this behavior.

7) Do these communities form fast or slow? Can anyone create a working community?

It rather depends on the advertisement the online community receives. For example, if a gaming company such as Bungie were to advertise their website for one of their games in an announcement, there would be thousands of people signing up and discussing Bungie's games and other topics with people that share similar interests.

05-18-2014	10
Tyler Dark Desert Fox Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: United States, Ohio Posts: 5,720	1) In your opinion, what is an online community? A group of people who share a common interest and gather to converse about it on a social website. 2) Where do you think the first online community was formed? I don't know where it was formed, but I would guess one of the earlier popular online communities would have been YouTube or MySpace. 3) Do you believe online communities display social patterns similar or differing from real life communities? Why? I would say that people in online communities are more comfortable speaking their mind than people in a real life social community. The fear of being judged for it is far less than a real life community. 4) Do you believe online communities are safe? Yes and no. You never know who is roaming around online communities so it is wise to be on guard by avoiding sharing an excessive amount of personal information. It all depends on who is part of the community. 5) What characteristics make up a good online community? What keeps you hooked? Kindness, acceptance, and guidelines are three key factors. Everyone should feel welcome and able to share their opinions on particular matters without having the fear of being ridiculed for it. However, there should be enforced guidelines for rule breakers who do not treat others properly, share explicit content, and so forth. 6) What do you think are characteristics that make a good community and a bad one? Unorganized, uncaring, and thoughtless are some aspects that make a community bad. Bad communities often ignore the fact that there is another person behind the computer screen with feelings. They often treat other members poorly and often lack strict guidelines for this behavior. 7) Do these communities form fast or slow? Can anyone create a working community? It rather depends on the advertisement the online community receives. For example, if a gaming company such as Bungie were to advertise their website for one of their games in an announcement, there would be thousands of people signing up and discussing Bungie's games and other topics with people that share similar interests.