Jasper Odijk

Object of the future

The future is here, we just need to know where to look

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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. 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 poeple 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 live, 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.

Vitual communities are considered a vital aspect of the Web 2.0 concept, which depends upon social interaction and exchange between users online.

References

Howard Rheingold's The Virtual Community
Wikipedia's article on virtual communities
Habbo Hotel: A Dutch virtual community for teenagers
Taatu: A virtual community for teenagers
The Well: Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link