Larry Davies, EdD Candidate, St. Thomas University 07-A3-MAN-725-11, Professor Hunt Community Development July 11, 2007 A Roadmap for Developing Online Communities for Community Development

R.O.A.D.M.A.P This mnemonic device will help me to describe seven facets of community development and building that are available in online environments. Knowledge of how these facets function will help supplement real world (or Real Life/RL) attempts at organizing communities of people to take a more active role in their community development.

This mnemonic device will help me to describe seven facets of community development and building that are available in online environments. Knowledge of how these facets function will help supplement real world (or Real Life/RL) attempts at organizing communities of people to take a more active role in their community development.

R – Roleplay/Reality Secondlife (SL) vs. Real Life (RL) Role play aspects of avatars in SL Avatars are representations of alternative realities of people’s lives in RL The SL/RL LINE Some are purely for fantasy, others are exploring real roles for online based interaction

Secondlife (SL) vs. Real Life (RL)

Role play aspects of avatars in SL

Avatars are representations of alternative realities of people’s lives in RL

The SL/RL LINE

Some are purely for fantasy, others are exploring real roles for online based interaction

O – Online tools Communication Chatting/Messaging Public and Private Synchronous vs. Aschynonus Movement Walking Flight Teleportation Objects Created by users Limited by imagination Scriptable

Communication

Chatting/Messaging

Public and Private

Synchronous vs. Aschynonus

Movement

Walking

Flight

Teleportation

Objects

Created by users

Limited by imagination

Scriptable

Multi-User Virtual Environment, usually represented by a three-dimensional space in which a representation of the learner, called an avatar, moves about in a virtual world and engages in actor/actor, actor/object and object/object activities. A - Avatars

Multi-User Virtual Environment, usually represented by a three-dimensional space in which a representation of the learner, called an avatar, moves about in a virtual world and engages in actor/actor, actor/object and object/object activities.

D – Design of 3D Spaces Conventional Unconventional Functional

Conventional

Unconventional

Functional

M - Messaging IM – Instant Messages (MSN, AIM) Offline IM sent to email Groups and Group Messages (like chat rooms) Friend’s conferences (personal chat rooms) Notes

IM – Instant Messages (MSN, AIM)

Offline IM sent to email

Groups and Group Messages (like chat rooms)

Friend’s conferences (personal chat rooms)

Notes

A – Asynchronous Interactions Notice Boards Advertisements Related community websites and webpages

Notice Boards

Advertisements

Related community websites and webpages

P – Personal networks Private Extendable Customizable

Private

Extendable

Customizable

Examples of Online Communities activism

Conclusions and Future Directions People most adept at learning and using these tools will be at an advantage Reliability of the system is paramount for establishing and maintaining relationships Devices to access online environments will increase in functionality while decreasing in cost = democratization of online environments

People most adept at learning and using these tools will be at an advantage

Reliability of the system is paramount for establishing and maintaining relationships

Devices to access online environments will increase in functionality while decreasing in cost = democratization of online environments

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights. Mohammed Ali

The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights.

Mohammed Ali