Exploring Online Communities
analytical Essay
1501 words
Exploring Online Communities First language, then print, and now telecommunications allow us to link thoughts and form communities, or groups based on common interests or common localities. However, in the not so distant past of the pre-virtual reality and pre-telecommunications age, community was the place where people lived, worked or played. For most of human recorded history, community was close to home and place dependent. Nowadays, cyberspace exists and permeates the 'real' world in which we live. Increasingly more humans belong to multiple communities, some of them transcending the limitations of location, time and space. As a result, new kinds of communities have emerged. Cyber communities have expanded the parameters of what we call communities and that process demands a new look, or a definition of electronic communities, most particularly educational cyber communities. Mercer (2000) gives all communities, virtual or face to face (F2F), the following attributes: 1) they share a body of experience or a common history; 2) they are united by common purposes and joint activities to develop a community of practice; 3) they form a collective identity such as students in a class, members of a church, etc.; 4) they give members reciprocal obligations or responsibilities towards each other and define roles for appropriate behaviors; in addition, they have rules and norms affording membership to the group and stability of the community; 5) they build a discourse community employing a specialized language and genre and not using the “proper” format may exclude members; thus newcomers may need to be ‘apprenticed’ to experienced ‘experts’ to learn the discourse. Therefore, electronic communities like F2F communities... ... middle of paper ... ...dy image. Computers and Composition, 14 (2), Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed: New, revised 20th –anniversary edition. New York: Continuum. Grubb, A. (1999). Building cyber-learning communities in WebCT. Retrieved October 10, 2002, from Georgia State University Web site: http://education.gsu.edu/CTL/powerpoint/brownbag/cybercommunity/sld001.htm Mercer, N. (2000). Words and minds: How we use language to think together. London: Routledge. Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (1999). Building learning communities in cyberspace: Effective strategies for the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Savenye, W. C., Olima, Z., & Niemczyk, M. (2001). So you are going to be an online writing instructor: Issues in design, developing and delivering an online course. Computers and Composition, 18,(4), 371-385.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that in the past, community was the place where people lived, worked, or played. cyberspace exists and permeates the'real' world in which we live.
- Explains that electronic communities like f2f are composed of interdependent people seeking deeply embedded human social needs to interact, belong, and share interests or commonalities.
- Explains that cyber communities bring together people with similar interests, objectives, and backgrounds. thinking together and jointly creating knowledge and understanding is one of the goals of building an educational community.
- Describes the principles of humanizing computer-mediated environments and the importance of developing a sense of learners’ community.
- Argues that social constructionists assume that learning occurs among persons rather than between persons and things and that knowledge is contextual and relative. however, one cannot magically mandate a community.
- Argues that online teaching and learning may require teachers' and students' re-acculturation so they may grant authority to peers instead of the teacher as the sole source of valuable knowledge and decision-making.
- Argues that cyber learning communities should include much interaction, sharing, bonding, and cooperation among all its participants. students and instructors should agree on the rules of classroom engagement.
- Argues that teaching students how to give effective feedback, be a good collaborator, and become aware of interlocutor relationships is of paramount importance to develop healthy cyber communities.
- Opines that although there is no magic and universal potion to create effective educational cyber communities, considering these general principles may help in designing and implementing more collaborative, student-centered and human cyber learning environments.
- Cites berzsenyi, c., bruffee, k. a. and buckley, j.
- Explains that teaching and the loss of body image are discussed in computers and composition.
Related
- analytical
- explanatory
- argumentative
- Building Community on the Netanalytical essayBuilding Community on the Net All sorts of reasons have been advanced in recent years to explain the decline of community in America, from the way we design our neighborhoods to the increased mobility of the average American to such demographic shifts as the movement of women into the labor force. But the onslaught of television and other electronic technologies is usually cited as the main culprit. As Harvard sociologist Robert Putnam observes, these technologies are increasingly "privatizing our leisure time" and "undermining our connections with one another and with our communities. "[1 ] In his essay "The Strange Disappearance of Civic America," Putnam draws a direct parallel between the arrival of television and the decline of what he calls "social capital" -- the social networks, trust, and norms of reciprocity that are the essence of healthy communities.
In this essay, the author
- Explains the decline of community in america, from the way we design our neighborhoods to the increased mobility of the average american to demographic shifts like the movement of women into the labor force.
- Analyzes putnam's essay, "the strange disappearance of civic america," which parallels the decline of social networks, trust, and norms of reciprocity that are the essence of healthy communities.
- Argues that electronic networks can help citizens build organizations, provide local information, and develop bonds of civic life and conviviality.
- Analyzes the burgeoning literature on the political uses of the net, focusing on three general categories: the pros and cons of direct democracy, privacy and social control, and the changing nature of public opinion.
- Opines that electronic or "virtual" communities knit together individuals who may be geographically dispersed but who share common interests. their main focus is on geophysical communities and how they are using networks to build healthier communities.
- Analyzes how howard rheingold's book, the virtual community, offered an entirely different vision of the digital revolution.
- Explains rheingold's definition of virtual communities as groups of people linked not by geography but by their participation in computer networks.
- Analyzes how rheingold describes computer networking as decentralized, informal, eclectic, and essentially self-governing.
- Explains that networks are increasingly conceived in human terms, not as digital highways, but as communities of people.
- Argues that virtual communities tend to exacerbate, rather than challenge, the atomization and fragmentation of modern society. they give their members a sense of belonging without any of the obligations of old-fashioned communities.
- Explains that virtual communities lack many of the essential features of real communities, such as face-to-face conversation, unplanned encounter, and confrontation with people whose lifestyles and values differ from yours.
- Explains that information is the currency of virtual communities, like many other marketplace cultures. it works better when the community's conceptual model of itself is more like barn-raising than horse- trading.
- Analyzes how the metaphor of the information highway accurately reflects what can happen to communities when they are woven into a larger social fabric.
- Analyzes how negroponte observes that the digital revolution has removed many of the limitations of geography. the virtual community requires some ties to physical community.
- Explains rheingold's experiences confirm the view that electronic networks are best understood not as separate worlds in cyberspace but as "nervous systems for the physical world."
- Explains the premise of "civic networking," which is using computer-based communication to create new forms of citizens based, geographically delimited community information systems.
- Explains that community information systems can knit together diverse elements of a community, provide access to and information about local government, stimulate public education, promote socioeconomic development and equality, foster lateral communication among and between citizens, and enhance civic participation.
- Describes the benefits of bringing together members of the community and promoting debate, deliberation, and resolution of shared issues.
- Explains how the cleveland free-net, which began as an experiment in making medical information publicly accessible over an electronic bulletin board system, evolved into a sophisticated network serving over 160,000 registered users in the greater cleveland area.
- Opines that america's progress toward an equitable information age will not be measured by the number of people we can make dependent upon the internet.
- Explains that community networks have been the focus of intensive study in recent years. however, empirical evidence is difficult to come by, so how do we measure the effectiveness of on-line networks in fostering stronger communities?
- Explains that public spaces can take many forms, from parks and playgrounds to pubs, libraries, cafes and neighborhood centers.
- Explains that parks, schools, playgrounds, libraries, and even streets are being privatized at an unprecedented rate. the drive on the part of many americans for increased security is evident in many newer suburbs.
- Explains that on-line networks are neither public nor spaces, but can serve some of the functions of more traditional public spaces. linda harasim likens computer conferences to meetings, learning circles, and cafes.
- Explains that electronic public spaces differ in important ways from conventional spaces. they are usually text-based, which means that many traditional features of social interaction -- physical cues, voice intonation, eye-to-eye contact -- are missing
- Explains that benjamin barber identifies nine functions of democratic talk: articulation of interests, bargaining and exchange, persuasion, agenda-setting, exploring mutuality, affiliation and affection, maintaining autonomy, witness and self-expression, reformulation and reconceptualization.
- Explains that the sort of discourse that takes place on-line satisfies all of these functions depends to a large extent on the participants in the conversation.
- Explains the difference between conversation and deliberation: one is spontaneous, uninformed, and unreflective, while the other is based on a deeper consideration of various alternatives.
- Quotes stephen bates, a fellow at annenberg's washington program, who sums up what seems to be the general perception regarding computer-based communication.
- Explains that it prompts more knee-jerk reactions than deliberative responses. it gives people a way to respond instantly and often angrily and aggressively without taking time to mull something over.
- Argues that the speed of the technology is inimical to the deliberative process, and the increased use of graphical images on the net is also an impediment.
- Opines that the lack of deliberation on-line is based on anonymity of the discussants. but what happens when preestablished social or professional groups are electronically linked?
- Explains that computer-based communication transcends time zones and personal schedules, allowing time for reflection and deeper consideration of the issues involved.
- Describes social capital as stocks of social trust, norms and networks that people can draw upon to solve common problems. robert putnam's research documents that networks of civic engagement, such as sports leagues, are an essential form
- Analyzes putnam's essay, "bowling alone," that civic engagement has been on a steady decline in the united states over the last 20 to 30 years.
- Analyzes putnam's view on how to restore civic engagement and trust in america. virtuous circles result in social equilibria, but the absence of these traits in uncivic communities is self-reinforcing.
- Explains putnam's view that technology is privatizing our lives and privileging non-place-based connections, while ties to neighbors are weakening.
- Opines that despite putnam's dour assessment of the new technologies, studies have been done that suggest that electronic networks, especially when grafted onto already existing social networks can in fact enhance social capital.
- Explains that the report suggests that local community networks can support interpersonal relationships, community-building, and social integration. it goes on to say that boundary-spanning networks might facilitate a reduction in community affiliation.
- Explains that andrea kavanaugh and scott patterson's study on the blacksburg electronic village network in virginia showed that the community network is capable of building social networks and information exchange needed to achieve collective action.
- Explains that the community-building power comes from the living database that participants create and use together informally as they help each other solve problems. the web of human relationships that can grow along with the database is where the potential for cultural and political change can be found.
- Argues that electronic linkage reinforces existing networks within the community, not attempt to recreate them. community networks must work strongly and strategically with other community institutions and organizations.
- Argues that electronic networks can strengthen communities if they are used to augment social networks that are already in place.
- Explains robert putnam's "the strange disappearance of civic america," and his papers "electronic democracy: a literature survey" and "teledemocracy vs. deliberative democracy."
- Analyzes howard rheingold's "a slice of life in my virtual community" in global networks: computers and international communication.
- Cites frederick, ehrenfeld, and doheny-farina's the wired neighborhood.
- Cites langdon winner, the whale and the reactor, robert theobald, nicholas negroponte, being digital, and scott london.
- Cites phil agre, francis fukuyama, douglas schuler, and mario morino.
- Presents tom grundner's paper, "seizing the infosphere: toward the formation of a corporation for public cybercasting."
- Cites rheingold, the virtual community, ray oldenburg, robert gerloff, and linda m. harasim in global networks: computers and international communication.
- Cites benjamin barber, joseph m. bessette, john dryzek, bernard manin, and david miller on the theory and practice of deliberation.
- Cites james m. pethokoukis, benjamin barber, doheny-farina, bruce bimber, and jan walls.
- Cites robert putnam, making democracy work: civic traditions in modern italy, and russ edgerton, "bowling alone: america's declining social capital."
- Cites robert h. anderson, tora k. bikson, sally ann law, and bridger m. mitchell, "universal access to e-mail: feasibility and societal implications." kavanaugh and patterson.
5342 wordsRead More - The Details of Chat Rooms and Online Communitiesexplanatory essayOnline communities? What are they? Well I’m not too sure. One thing I can tell you is that when I hear those words I usually think of chat rooms. I am sure you know that if you go online one of the things you can do is go into the chat rooms. In fact, one of the first things I did when I first go America Online was go into a chat room. I remember my friends telling me how much fun it was. I wondered what was so fun about it. f I wanted to talk to someone why wouldn’t it be more exciting to just pick up the phone and call some one or just get together with some of my friends. My friends would tell me that it was fun because you could talk to people all over the world.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that when they first go to america online, one of the things they did was go into a chat room. they remember their friends telling them how much fun it was.
- Opines that creating a screen name is fun, as it gives you an inside look to the people you can't see.
- Explains that when they went online after picking their screen name, they had to decide on which room they wanted to go into. they went to the section of chat rooms that are made by people themselves.
- Explains that even though people might not be talking about the subject, they all usually have similar interest. they can get along with them because they like at least one thing.
- Explains that the "gothic" chat room was a place where people often asked "what is goth?" and the regulars would try to answer the question.
- Opines that people go online to chat because it gives them the chance to be anyone they want. they also find it fun to talk to people from all over the world.
- Explains that the language used in chat rooms varies from person to person, and that people like to find ways to communicate faster by inventing smaller words like brb.
- Opines that chat rooms become addicting in a way because people can meet and send pictures to each other. some people like chatting because they see the same people and before you know it they become your friends.
- Opines that even though chat rooms have their pluses, the only thing i think is bad about them is that people can lie to you and pretend to be something they are not. our government needs to move with technology and come up with new fair laws to help deal with computer crimes.
793 wordsRead More - Christianity On-lineanalytical essayOn-line communities are a foreign concept to me. I have never joined one, or even been curious to see what they are like. The only experience I have had with them is in middle school when I used to go into chat rooms and talk to other teens. The only conversation involved there was about music and movies. It has been years since I have ventured into anything on-line except for checking my e-mail or downloading music. In order to write about on-line communities, the assignment given to the class I am in, I had to go on-line and explore the culture myself. Since I had no idea what server to use or what sites were popular, the task was a little daunting.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that on-line communities are a foreign concept to them. they have never joined one, or even been curious to see what they are like.
- Describes how they went to "the lost library of moo," a resource tool listed on the website for their english class. they couldn't understand the purpose of the site or how to play games.
- Describes how the computer screen allows people to get more personal without the threat of being rejected or making someone feel awkward about being so open.
- Analyzes how the internet communities advertised on msn.com's homepage had interesting topics like "why did political rap die out?" and "is tupac really dead?"
- Opines that the internet is a helpful way to express thoughts and emotions without anyone judging the way one looks or holds money.
1352 wordsRead More - Virtual Communities, Open Communication, and the End of Nationalismexplanatory essayJohn Perry Barlow, a writer and the author of , Is There a There in Cyberspace? describes virtual communities as, A new locale of human community-never mind that the whole thing was being conducted in were words by minds from whom the bodies had been amputated. Never mind that all these people were deaf, dumb, and blind as paramecia or that their town had neither four seasons nor sunsets nor smells (165). Barlows thoughts are that no matter who you are, you can be apart of a community that fits you. The bonds that hold the communities together are a strong relationship and common level for a particular thing, view, and or person.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that people have boundaries that are constructed by them to keep unwanted intruders from penetrating, and countries have the same type of boundaries and borders, both serve as checkpoints.
- Explains that technology has advanced our lives in many ways. the 21st century is considered to be the computer age, because of the advancement of computers.
- Explains that john perry barlow describes virtual communities as a new locale of human community. he believes that no matter who you are, you can be apart of communities that fit you.
- Explains hockenberry's article, the end of nationalism?, that computers can help countries come together and break down the walls that we put up.
- Explains how hockenberry suggests building a virtual community that is free from everyday intolerance and open communication to express your views in an open forum.
- Opines that what hockenberry proposes can in fact happen. terrorist attacks are as common as waking up in the morning. if we can put our differences aside and move on together, a more tolerant society will emerge.
- Opines that using the palestinian and israeli example shows that help is needed. only sporadic spurts of calm and collective branches of peace are seen and the times are getting few and far between.
- Opines that if we are focused on teaming up and joining arms, we will be in good shape, but there is still much to be done.
1233 wordsRead More - Howard Rheingold's Virtual Communityanalytical essayHoward Rheingold, who established the definition of the virtual community, touches on his personal experiences in being deeply involved on an emotional level with people he has never personally met before: “The idea of a community accessible only via my computer sounded cold to me at first, but I learned quickly that people can feel passionately about email and computer conferences. I’ve become one of them. I care about these people that I met through my computer, and I care deeply about the future of the medium that enables us to assemble” (273). He considers these people his “family of invisible friends” (Rheingold 273), a group of individuals that he goes out of his way to connect with on a daily basis. The computer is as advanced as it gets; the internet is still in its beginning stages at this point, and already the founding threads of make up the virtual community are being woven together. Aside from the advent of the home telephone, this is the first time that people don’t have to be face to face with each other in order to interact with purpose. What begins as only a small, tightly-knit community can progress into something exponential and all-encompassing as the age of technology thrives. It is the role of not just one community, but many, to develop their own customs and traditions and
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how howard rheingold, who established the definition of the virtual community, is deeply involved on an emotional level with people he has never personally met.
- Opines that communication is a problem of physical and emotional connection with others, citing rothenbuhler and shepard's 'problem of community'.
- Analyzes how the evolution of the virtual community has allowed fan fiction to progress into a social experience.
574 wordsRead More - Has the Impact of Cyberspace Made Us Interpersonal?argumentative essayJohn Parry Barlow’s essay poses an interesting question. Is communication via the Internet as socially beneficial as face to face interactions? The quick and easy answer to the question is no. The use of the internet and all of its distractions has caused an imbalance of actual social interaction. The informed critique that will be discussed is, “Is There a There in Cyberspace?” by John Perry Barlow. The major theme of this short story is how communities have drastically changed. While social benefits can come from participating in an Internet community, it is not a replacement for a physical community of peers.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the internet is used for its social benefits as well as information gathering. the danger comes when people ignore other sources and outlets for information.
- Concludes that virtual community has a place in the modern age. it serves benefits in terms of perceived social support and convenient information gathering, but it lacks non-verbal cues and immediate reaction from the receiver.
- Opines that barlow, john p., "is there a there in cyberspace." utne.com. web specials archives.
- Analyzes john parry barlow's essay, "is there a there in cyberspace?" and argues that the internet and its distractions have caused an imbalance of actual social interaction.
1727 wordsRead More - Internet - Exploring Our Inner-self in Cyberspaceexplanatory essay12. What is Cyberculture/Virtual Community? Internet Literacy. Course Home Page. Fall 2001. George Mason University. (2001) Access: http://classweb.gmu.edu/montecin/nclc249-f001/index.html Retrieved: November 18, 2004
In this essay, the author
- Explains that cyberspace is a psychological ‘space’ to build and form, explore and discover, and accept and understand ourselves.
- Argues that cyberspace is limitless and allows people to explore multiple identities.
- Explains that the internet has evolved to become a social medium which allow people to communicate. cyberculture explores the dimensions of social, cultural, and interaction online.
- Explains the advantages and disadvantages of cultural and identity in cyberspace.
- Explains that cyberspace is a psychological space to explore our inner-self. the relationship of identity and culture interacts to build one’s true self.
- Cites abelson, hal et al. digital identity in cyberspace. course home page. massachusetts institute of technology.
- Cites coyle, karen, levy, pierre, and lopez-martinez, blanca. identity in cyberspace.
- Cites piglia, paola and silver, david. secrets of the cyberculture omni publications international ltd, looksmart ltd.
- Explains soules, marshall, identity in cyberspace, centre for digital humanities innovation, malaspina university-college.
- Explains that suler, john, the psychology of cyberspace. course home page. department of psychology, rider university.
1554 wordsRead More - Social Media Sociologyanalytical essayThe answer to this question lies in the type of community being referred to. For instance: thanks to the development of social media technology, the line between reality and the virtual world has diminished even more. A separate community has now been established away from the real world, and into the world of these connections of computers and data transfer networks; mainly being social media networks. With a swipe of a finger, users can get connected to thousands of other users throughout the world, form separate online communities for the purpose of discussion, research, or just general communication. For this reason, technology has dominated almost every field of a normal human life. Therefore in a sense, it has excluded us from the real communities, but has included us into a new virtual one (“How does technology affect your social life”, 2015).
In this essay, the author
- Explains that social media technology has reduced the line between reality and the virtual world, and created separate online communities.
- Explains that social media has acted as a promoter of not only the virtual community, but the real life as well, bringing more people closer online and offline.
- Explains that social networking technologies like facebook and twitter are built on the premises of encouraging communities and communication. using an online persona, an individual can communicate with people of the community they belong to, and form an open worldwide community.
- Explains that social networking technology has lessened the requirement of verbal communication, replacing it with text messages. most of the population nowadays possesses mobile phones, which include social network applications, connecting them with friends everywhere around the globe.
- Argues that the positive impacts of technology outweigh the negative impacts, and promotes inclusion in both communities and communication.
514 wordsRead More - Various Essays Analysisanalytical essayIn Evan I. Schwartz's persuasion and argument essay, “Looking for Community on the Internet,” the topic of cyberspace being a “surrogate community” to a real life community is debated on. Schwartz proposes the beneficial and flawed features of an online community to reach his finalized conclusion. Schwartz's purpose is to address the legitimacy of an online community in order to create an argument for a topic that raises significance for the Internet. Schwartz establishes a reverent tone towards his topic for his audience that may support or oppose the Internet community theory.
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how wendy lesser defines her view of e-mail by narrating her stay in london and reflecting on her intimate connection to her compuserve device to communicate with her friends, peers, husband, and family.
- Analyzes william zinsser's process analysis essay, "the keyboard," to explain how various tasks can be convoluted to help readers understand how encountering certain mysteries lead to enlightenment.
- Analyzes how gordon conveys the similarities and differences between the internet and railroads through the impact each invention made.
- Analyzes dave barry's division and classification essay, "selected web sites," by listing a set of websites containing content that he sarcastically proves to be counterproductive as networks.
- Analyzes laura miller's definition essay, "women and children first: gender and the settling of the electronic frontier," which refutes the stereotype of women being vulnerable on the internet.
- Analyzes how kadi's cause and effect essay, "welcome to cybebia," argues that people will gain internet, an innovate method of communication to "new people, places, and ideas."
- Analyzes evan i. schwartz's persuasion and argument essay, "looking for community on the internet." he proposes the beneficial and flawed features of an online community to reach his finalized conclusion.
724 wordsRead More - Essay On Rational Communityanalytical essayIn his book The Community of Those Who Have Nothing in Common, Alphonso Lingis (1994) discusses community and proposes an untraditional view of community, the “other community”. Traditionally community is known as a social structure in which individuals have something in common. This usually refers to a shared location, shared identity or common values or beliefs. In this traditional view or “rational community” these commonalities are crucial in uniting individuals.
In this essay, the author
- Explains alphonso lingis' book, the community of those who have nothing in common, discusses community and proposes an untraditional view of community, the "other community".
- Explains that the "other community" comes into being when individuals' lives connect or bump up against one another without necessarily having anything in common.
- Analyzes how lingis' "other community" comes into being when the stranger or intruder disrupts or intentions and makes us question our own cultural coding.
- States that lingis (1994) states "the face of another is a surface upon which one senses directions and directives that order me; when another faces one, and imperative surfaces."
- Explains that value-terms are used to put an emphasis or force behind the value we place on something, such as a fetish. lingis (1994) suggests that it is on the faces of others that we discover their values.
- Opines that lingis believes that courage is the first of all virtues because it's the virtue that gives way or brings about all others. courage is about taking risks.
- Analyzes how lingis discusses the importance of having courage and the relevance of being there for someone during their final moments.
- Analyzes how lingis's "community in death" is composed of a dying one and an accompanying one that is not dying.
- Explains that there is an obligation in lingis's "other community" to accompany the dying one. this consciousness of death guarantees my own life as well as death.
750 wordsRead More