Online Community?

Posted: Apr 4, 08 10:45pm

I've run across this one before in other places. When people spend considerable time on a social networking website or online game, they begin to feel as though they are a part of something. Here at TBD They post a question and get many answers and opinions. They browse around looking for conversations to take part in. "Hey I have an opinion on that subject!" they say to themselves, and off they go, sometimes at length. (At least that's what I do sometimes.)

I've seen several posts where the writer refers to "the community." or "the TBD community." It's as though in their mind, we are all a part of something that has a shape, mass, and even a direction. It's never a "bad" direction either, such as a decline or evil. It's always going somewhere positive, or at least a better place or state than the present.

I'm certain this mythical community has a structure. Some seem to recognize village elders and idiots (jesters might be a better word.) Invariably they attribute the qualities they hold in high regard to the rest of the community. Say for example, someone believes tolerance to be a virtue, and has seen tolerance expressed by others, then they might say something like "We TBD'ers are tolerant of different [insert here]."

I wonder if the people they assume to be the community realize their place in it? Do you feel like you are a part of something at TBD? How many hours per day do you spend here? Do you think there is a correlation between hours spent online and any feeling of belonging?

Humans typically attribute their own ideals to total strangers. We want to believe we're just like everyone else. Is a community the natural progression of a collection of disparate people discussing their private lives?