Jasper Odijk
Object of the future
The future is here, we just need to know where to look
Virtual Communities
New
The internet is the biggest network ever created by human beings. It enables people from all over the world to reach a large audience in just a few mouse-clicks. Virtual communities came into being because of the natural need of people to interact. The term virtual communities can be defined as online environments in which people with common interests, values, opinions, etc. can socially interact. In The Virtual Communitiy written by Howard Rheingold virtual communities are defined as "social aggregations that emerge from the Net when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace."(1)
Virtual communities come in many forms, but it basically enables people to do almost anything they could do in real live, without being physically involved. Some virtual communities, like Taatu for example, go as far as creating virtual worlds in which people can live a virtual life. Virtual communities provide people with an enormous amount of freedom, opportunities, possibilities and liveliness, while still guaranteeing a certain degree of anonymity. This is for many people a fascinating and irresistible force which attracts them to get involved and be a part of virtual communities. For many people, virtual communities provide an additional dimension to life, because in this virtual world people don't judge you on how you look, but just accept you for who you are and what you say.
Virtual communities are considered a vital aspect of the Web 2.0 concept, which depends upon social interaction and exchange between users online. An important philosophy behind web 2.0 is that it is a social phenomenon referring to an approach to creating and distributing Web content itself, characterized by open communication, decentralization of authority, freedom to share and re-use, and "the market as a conversation". Virtual communities are essentially driving forces for Web 2.0. It is essentially characterized by virtual communities such as:
- Flickr: A virtual community for sharing digital photos,
- Hyves: A social network popular amongst Dutch students,
- Last.fm: An online community and music recommendation service based on profiling techniques,
- Del.icio.us: A social bookmarking service for sharing bookmarks,
- Habbo Hotel: a virtual community that combines the concept of both a chat room and online game in which people live a virtual life,
- openBC : a social networking service for business professionals.
Replace
These communities on the internet replace informal public meetingplaces in real life, like clubs, bars, and societies. For some people because its provides a certain level of anonymity, but in most cases because interaction is taking place on a whole new level and dimension. This new dimension is characterized by the opportunity to reach people from all over the world. So many different cultures, origins, opinions, interests, and so on.
Change
Virtual communities provide people with the opportunity to interact with likeminded individuals instantaneously from anywhere on the globe. It empowers the individual and provides an outlet for the 'voice of the voiceless'. The possibilities are endless: chatting, 'living' in a virtual world, sharing your views & opinions with the world, building social- or business networks, and so on.
Basically, virtual communities give people the opportunity to share whatever they want with the world, while guaranteeing a certain degree of anonymity. It will change the way people interact with each other.
Growth
There aren't any concrete growth figures of virtual communities, but it is fair to say that virtual communities are booming. As one of the main driving forces behind web 2.0, new virtual communities are developed and launched on the web every day. Large communities have millions of users every day, and the number of users in these large communities is still rapidly growing.
References
(1) Howard Rheingold's The Virtual Community
(2) Wikipedia's article on virtual communities
(3) Habbo Hotel: A Dutch virtual community for teenagers
(4) Taatu: A virtual community for teenagers
(5) The Well: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link
(6) Flickr
(7) Hyves
(8) Last.fm
(9) Del.icio.us
(10) openBC