Virtual community

An online community (English for network community ) is a special form of the Community; here of people who meet each other via the Internet, on an exchange program. Communication takes place in a social network instead, which as a platform for mutual exchange of opinions, impressions and experiences (often in the form of user - generated content ) is used, one also speaks of social media. The little deferrable term net community (including network community, internet community, internet community ), however, used more by outsiders as a media buzzword to describe people in the whole, from which they accept only that they form a community by providing regular access to the Internet use it.

• 4.1 Commercial
• 4.2 Themed
• 4.3 Methods Oriented
• 4.4 Development Community

Importance

A community platform on the Internet provides the basic tools for communication such as e -mail, forums, chat systems, instant messenger, news boards, file sharing networks, etc., to enable communication between members. Initially, the online community has often been equated with the technique that is used by the online community. However, a community defines itself not about the technology, but by the content that brings them together. Sociologically, it is a social phenomenon.

Structure

Most online communities are organized on the merits basis- democratic. Online communities must be built, maintained and cared for, which are also members of the online community are entrusted. Depending on the target group, the functions are coordinated and tailored to the interests of users. This feedback from users (wishes, requests, ideas) are useful because they help to increase the attractiveness and acceptance. In cross-media journalism working for example play starting with the online journalism reader, listener and viewer communities in the reader-to - bond an important role. Online communities are produced mainly successful if its driving force is not the marketing idea of a company, but they made ​​themselves so understand to grow, the wishes of the community. Chance of a rising tendency to hierarchy and institutions emerging. Ideally, the community 's own rules. Even jurisdiction similar, parliamentary or police-like institutions were - usually at the request of users - introduced. Reference is also a development to "laws" and rigid rules - or at least the desire for it - recognizable. Legal terms such as "illegal ," "Defendant ," " illegitimate ," and so find with increasing tendency to use the discussions.

Context

The term network community is mainly used depending on the context of politicians and media from more passive point of view, such as in political discussions on topics such as the blocking of websites or the private copy. This active people as belonging to the network community be considered especially in online communities. Internet activists like Mark Beckedahl regarded as representative and spokesman for the network community. Mostly the term network community would be used by people who feel themselves do not belong.

History

In 1985, was constituted in Sausalito, San Francisco, Northern California, a network-based debating society called "The Well" (the Whole Earth ' Lectronic Link ). The community was founded by Stewart Brand and Larry Brilliant can be regarded as one of the first communities of the Internet. However, the first mailing lists can be regarded as communities. Howard Rheingold first to use the term in his book, virtual communities ', which are now referred to as online, net, cyber or e- communities.

Spelling

The Duden ( 23rd edition ) recommends " online community " (without the hyphen), respectively, as the majority of " online communities ", as the term is now performing a loanword and 'll declined according to the rules of German grammar.

In the literature there are the terms Virtual or online community, especially in English is " Virtual Community " widespread. A search of the ACM Digital Library shows an approximately equal distribution of the two concepts in existing publications. The concept of virtuality is however misleading: Virtual can " the option under present" or " act as if " mean. Thus, a virtual community would not be a full-fledged community. However, an online community is to be understood as a subset of all real communities whose members exchange ideas online rather than face- to-face. Therefore, it is recommended to use the term " online community " consistently.

Types of online communities

Commercially

A commercial online community is an online community that is under the supervision of a company. The community utilizes to communicate the company's infrastructure. Also, moderation is generally derived from the company.

Commercial online communities do not allow, in contrast to non-commercial online communities usually the choice of a board and let advertising revenue not only benefit community purposes, but use them to distribute profits.

A special form of a commercial online community is the customer forum, which allows the customer to communicate with each other about the products and services. It saves customers establish their own communication platform.

Many commercial " social networking " services are connected to a commercial online community. These closed online communities allow on their system no communication with members of other communities. These include Myspace, Facebook, Stay Friends who - knows-who and Lokalisten and StudiVZ, schülerVZ and meinVZ. At your service with professional orientation include the networks of XING and LinkedIn - here the groups have more thematic connection with the everyday work.

Online service providers connect their service with a commercial online community to retain customers. Customers should consult not only the quality of the service, but also associated with the service community during a change of provider in this way. A well-known provider is the photo - Hoster Flickr.

The micro -blogging service Twitter is connected to a closed commercial online community. Other microblogging services like Identi.ca allow over the open OStatus standard ( formerly Open microblogging) to communicate with anyone.

Since 2002, published on the Internet and commercial, enclosed shopping communities that you could only enter by invitation of a member or with the help of a club key.

Themed

Themed communities get their attraction from a topic that unites all users. This can be a hobby, like sci-fi communities and sports communities or faith, as religious communities or political networks and political communities.

Oriented methods

A Voting Community or a rating community is an online community whose members face a vote by other members. Some of these communities can also reviews by non-members. In most cases, only photos of the members will be asked to evaluate, which can be usually rated from zero to ten points. A few communities of this kind imply, however consciously value the fact that the reviews should not only relate to the images, but the overall impression from photos, presentation texts, contributions in any existing forums, private contact and so on.

In most communities the voting polls continuously, and there are at most weekly or monthly best voted and then presented on the main page of the community either directly or via a link. A few Voting communities but actually lead through a year long running laps and elect at the end of these rounds a winner and / or winner, much like beauty contests.

Development community

A development community, or development community is an online community whose members together form a project that promotes a technical product development. The goal of such a project can be software, electronic hardware, tools, machinery or a building. Most developing communities are the result of their work under a license that complies with the principles of Open Source, Free Software, respectively, available to the public.

Development communities are usually very interdisciplinary, ausgereichtet by working towards specific milestones that are defined in a life cycle. Coordinates the work is usually composed by a project management of one or more persons and has only a limited decision-making authority. Important decisions and the selection of project management are determined by the most globally distributed members in on-line voting democratic.

Source code, technical drawings, designs, reviews, test scores, or technical simulations are usually accessible via the Internet on a version control system stored centrally (eg Subversion). Meetings and the exchange of ideas between individual members usually takes place through an instant messaging system (such as IRC), or a mailing list.

The financing of the infrastructure (eg servers, workshops, test laboratories) performed either by donations from individuals or companies that are interested in the results of the work of a development community. Partially provide companies of them full-time employees or part of their infrastructure for a development community for free.

Known examples of development communities are:

• The Open Architecture Network is developing the building.
• The Tractor project LifeTrac.
• The projects of the Global Village Construction Set ( working on about 50 different machines )
• The projects of OpenCores. ( OpenRISC and other computer hardware components )
• The projects of the Mozilla Foundation. (Firefox, Firefox OS or Thunderbird)
• The projects of the Apache Software Foundation. (Apache HTTP Server or Open Office )
• The GNU Project.
• The Linux kernel development.
• The development of LibreOffice.
• The development of Debian Linux.