Online Communities

Online communities have reinvigorated a sense of community and try to dissolve the sense of alienation and disenfranchisement which is a result from an industrialist and capitalist society.

These communities have no geographical or physical barriers which can negatively affect offline groups. They are governed by core principles which include an inclusive and supportive culture, a strong democracy and freely available information and participatory media. Some of these core principles are found within the offline world which shows communities are merely taking full advantage of the presence of a better platform.

Participants of these online communities originally come together because of a shared interest. They allow a user to become accepted into a community they may not have had access to int he physicla world. As stated before, the Internet removes physical barriers and through the advancement in email and instant messaging technologies, it is easier than ever before to come into contact with people all around the globe. These communities take these advancements and tailor them to fit the expectations and requirements of users. These allow users to communicate with ease and also in a timely fashion.

The Internet has become more integrated into our lives and the difference between offline and online are becoming increasingly smaller as this integration continues. The networking possibilities which have become apparent since the introduction of online communities, would not been possible without the use of the Internet.