I think the concept of 'virtual settlement' seems a bit vague.
I understand the general idea- the whole notion of interaction, and that people have to be a 'member' of this group, contributing and communicating with each other. But I'm struggling to grasp the jump between a virtual settlement and a virtual community... A blog, for example, can be a virtual settlement, but not a community. I don't see how anybody can define whether a blog/website etc is classed as a settlement,or a community....or neither!
I find the SOC (sense of community) a much easier 'guideline' to follow, and i think these are realistic aspect to expect from a virtual community.
I can't say that i have ever felt a SOC through anything online- of course, you can have conversations with your friends via social networking sites, but that's exactly what it is....just a conversation. In order to make it something more than this, I believe takes time, effort, dedication and contribution. I do think it's a good concept to use, and I think that a lot of people do feel this sense of community online.
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Hi Dani!
ReplyDeleteI do find all this blogging business more of a community, but I think that is only because I know who I am engaging in conversation with.
So you think that if we were strangers, you would feel differently?
ReplyDeleteWhat about if we have been engaging in 'online conversations' together for a long time, would you still think of us as strangers, or do you think you wouldfeel like you new me? I suppose this links back to last week, and the whole idea of online identity?
Hiya
ReplyDeleteI have to say that i found the term quite hard to grasp. I took a settlement as consisting of either online communities and groups. I'm guessing when i say communities that i mean the interaction between online users that consists of relationships that are close nit similar to that of RL communities whereas with groups there simply isn't that need. I suppose that I'm comparing the internet communities in terms of RL and the maybe invalid lol. What i will say about the online world is that because you can reply when you like there isn't that personal level to the extent that you find with face-to-face immediate interactions.
ps hope that placement is going well
I think you can have communities where people do not know each other, however like Lauren I think I personally compare it too much to real life; I only find this more of a community because I know you all from face to face interation!
ReplyDeleteIf we were strangers, yes I would feel differently. I wouldnt want to engage in conversation with someone I didnt know or know of in the real world.
Hyperthetically speaking, if I did talk to strangers on the Internet, I guess I would build up some familiarity with them- but I still wouldn't feel like I knew them.
i find it hard not to compare it to real life too- i always think it works the same as RL but via the internet, but i suppose that's not the case, and you have to make allowences. Lauren's point about replying when you like is a good point too, because I think it can help keep a conversation going etc, whereas in RL a conversation can quickly die out, particularly if you are not a chatty person. Little things like this can make a huge difference that we don't realise.
ReplyDeleteGreat thread!
ReplyDeleteI think the point Blanchard is making is that there are somethings necessary (stability, longevity, commitment) for community to be a fair label for an online settlement, but they're not sufficient. A certain prioritising of involvement, a certain investment in the thoughts and welfare of others, the experience of collective success (and arguably failure). My research suggests that all this almost inevitably tends to precipitate action IRL, and the most effective virtual communities have a life offline too -whether because they originated there or not.