Virtual Community

Bruckman and Jensen define community as "a group of people who act in the same fashion." The success of a community depends on the value systems within and meeting the needs of the members involved, which may not mean all are content with the making and running of their individual community. Of course, success revolves around participation and enthusiasm. The online communities are easier to differentiate. They usually have the same interests and are involved with the online discussion because of the same motivating factors that drive most participants within the virtual network community. Factors that initiate a successful online group lie within ourselves-interests generated by group thinking can supersede one's own ideas and implement anticipated needs. Spurring one's thinking can produce ideas that benefit all by simply playing from the generated discussion.Lev Grossman calls Web 2.0 a revolution. Ordinary people, whose obscurity was never challenged prior to cyberspace, became known by simple ventures into my space and U-Tube. It is a little unnerving as to who is viewing your agenda, perhaps extending the community to unwanted members. Angel network and DL2 are much less inhibiting as the viewee and viewer are simply pursuing common interests without the intrusion of onlookers.The real community demands honesty, complete with knowledge of one's weaknesses and strengths, where the virtual community allows for freedom to present one self in a different, more imaginative way. One can be free of their unwanted past and present their self in any fashion when another is not aware of any other existence.One can learn from virtual communities and grow from the strengths of others. Discussion groups, who value the same knowledge, can focus without distractions from the real world. Perhaps a balance is needed, so everyone can experience the real person and not one created by virtual obscurity. Chat rooms and profiles are great ways to begin all discussion groups, it keeps the members human and reminds us that there is more to communities than their presence.