WEEK 5 "The Virtual Community"

When mentioning the word “social media” in our current society, at least 500 million people are a part of it.  In my generation, we’ve been familiarised to social media since a very young age. For me, the first social site that I decided to join was when I was in grade 8 to a social network called hi5. Then, to Facebook along with twitter, instagram and many other social medias that became popular, I signed up for them and have been using them since then. Therefore, for the old-school social networks like hi5, my space, Bebo etc. eventually decreases their users. However, these social networks aren’t that old when compared to one of the first ever social networks that was launched in 1985. 

Twenty-eight years ago the Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link or the WELL was introduced to the Internet users and currently has 2,693 members. You might think that it's just another social network but the significants of this site is the introduction to the online virtual community. Rheingold was one of the members of WELL when he discovered that “the virtual community arises when people carry on public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships”. (Rheingold 1993, p. 5)

In 2013 we can easily compare this concept to social medias such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or even online dating sites. I think the virtual community has numerous advantages. One could be that it affects us to feel accepted in a community because sometimes it’s not easy to feel completely comfortable and opened in the reality. Therefore, finding a online community that shares a common interest allows us to form a sense a belonging.

Reference: The Virtual Community by Howard Rheingold 
The WELL