I would like to point out that virtual communities are not entirely homogenous. Look at this very site, for instance: A good part of the discussion here is composed of people debating issues from opposing viewpoints. For example, I am not a Libertarian, and so disagree with other/. members on many political issues--indeed, I was involved in a very interesting little discussion about voting not long ago. I think it is precisely this diversity of opinion that appeals to many members of virtual communitites.
Of course, that being said, I can't deny that the *overall structuring* of these things is somewhat homogenous. For example, you won't find people carrying on long, involved discussions of home and garden care on/. (I don't think). Even so, is that so different from real life? Don't we tend to self-organize into social units based on shared interests and views? For example, nearly all my friends are intelligent, liberal people who are interested in computers and their applications. I attend a university (RPI) that caters specifically to technically inclined students.
So, you see, virtual communities are in many ways simply logical extensions of existing, non-virtual communities. Mind, I don't think they can ever really *replace* real-life communities--the modes of communication available to us over the 'net right now simply aren't sufficient to simulate real person-to-person interaction--but I do feel that they can become strongly integrated. For example, I have a group of friends who regularly socialize in #gifted on the undernet, but still get together in real life on a fairly regular basis (well, those of us on the same side of the continent, anyhow). In fact, I first spoke to several members of this group on IRC, and later grew to count them among my best friends.
Okay, that's enough rambling and ranting for now. Until next time,
Wraithmaster www.wraithmaster.com -- Chicken soup for the spleen.
Slashdot Mirror
Of course, that being said, I can't deny that the *overall structuring* of these things is somewhat homogenous. For example, you won't find people carrying on long, involved discussions of home and garden care on /. (I don't think). Even so, is that so different from real life? Don't we tend to self-organize into social units based on shared interests and views? For example, nearly all my friends are intelligent, liberal people who are interested in computers and their applications. I attend a university (RPI) that caters specifically to technically inclined students.
So, you see, virtual communities are in many ways simply logical extensions of existing, non-virtual communities. Mind, I don't think they can ever really *replace* real-life communities--the modes of communication available to us over the 'net right now simply aren't sufficient to simulate real person-to-person interaction--but I do feel that they can become strongly integrated. For example, I have a group of friends who regularly socialize in #gifted on the undernet, but still get together in real life on a fairly regular basis (well, those of us on the same side of the continent, anyhow). In fact, I first spoke to several members of this group on IRC, and later grew to count them among my best friends.
Okay, that's enough rambling and ranting for now. Until next time,
Wraithmaster
www.wraithmaster.com -- Chicken soup for the spleen.