Online Communities:
Virtual or Real?
Javier Velasco-Martin

A problem with history
• This problem was at the heart of the
development of sociology. (Fernback, 2007; Studdert,
2005)

A relative concept
• There’s a vast array of uses for the term, it
has become common use and is hard to pin
academically. (Wellman, 1999; Preece, 2000; Thurlow, Lengel &
Tomic, 2004; Studdert, 2005)
• “the African-American community”
• “the European community”
• “the gay community”
• “the village community” (Thurlow, Lengel & Tomic, 2004)

Are they
territory-defined?
• Several definitions involve locality: the ideal
case is often seen as a small village. (Thurlow,
Lengel & Tomic; Wellman, 1999)

Identity and belonging
• Socialization and a sense of identity and
belonging is central to community,
sometimes described as ‘the third place’.
(Hamman, 1997)

Disappearing
Communities?
• There’s been a sense of community loss for
centuries, can be tracked for over 2000
years in the western culture, including
some of its most prominent intellectuals.
(Tonnies, 1974; Wellman, 1999; Evans, 2004)

Community vs.
individual
• The individual-society dilemma has been
central to the development of western
society.
• Individualism is an important factor in the
weakening of communities. (Willard & Fields, 1991)

They are in flux!
• Communities are changing, not
disappearing. (Wellman, 1996; 1999)

Defining Community
- “I define ‘community’ as networks of
interpersonal ties that provide sociability,
support, information, a sense of belonging
and social identity.” (Wellman, 2001, p. 228)

Online Communities?
• Early developers of computer networks
foresaw a happy life empowered by online
communities based on interest. (Licklider & Taylor,
1968)

Internet alienates
• Some people saw internet communication
as a threat to socialization. (Kraut et al, 1996; Homenet
Group, 1998)

Online helps local
• Other people propose that online
communities can strengthen local
communities. (Blanchard & Horan; Evans, 2004; Hampton, 2007;
Xie, 2008)

Support
• These can allow people to engage in
positive relationships and supportive forms
of organization. (Rheingold, 2008)

...“But because of your
guidance, constant
companionship and true
friendship, I have learned
that life is full of choices, life
is beautiful that life is all
about learning to love
what’s there.
I’m really thankful to all of
you, you brought me
reasons to smile, I’ve been
seeing myself always
smiling, laughing my heart
Bernardette San Jose, 2009
out and alive again.”...

Defining Online
Community
“A Virtual community is a group of people who
may or may not meet one another face to face,
and who exchange words and ideas through the
mediation of computer bulletin boards and
networks.”
a certain (loose) social contract
certain (eclectic) interests
usually a geographically local focus
often a connection to a much wider domain (Rheingold, 2008, p3.)

Online Social Networks
• The most recent form of online community
is user-centric shaped. Their focus is the
maintenance of previous offline based
relationships. (Beer, 2008; Boyd & Ellison, 2008; Stefanone & jang,
2008)

Online social
constructs
• More than asking wether online
communities are true communities, we
should focus on studying how people are
creating meaningful social constructs
online. (Fernback, 2007)

Blending worlds
• As the Internet is now embedded in our
regular lives, the distinction between online
and offline communities dissolves. (Haythonrwaite
& Hagaar, 2005; Xie, 2008)
• ... “it is when technological changes become
pervasive, familiar and boring that they affect
societies the most”. (Wellman, 2001, p. 228)

Online Communities:
Virtual or Real?
Javier Velasco-Martin