Media and Community Building: Web 2.0 and Virtual Communities

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Web 2.0 and Virtual Communities

Abstract

There is some concern that as we continue to advance technologically, we continue to lose our sense of community. In the case of the virtual community, the phenomenon known as Web 2.0 has enhanced the users’ online experience, and helped to form and shape the virtual communities that we participate in today. Like the virtual communities that exist in its’ framework, Web 2.0 itself is still in the process of being defined. Because the web is not the content, it is a delivery method for the content, the argument is that to label it Web 2.0 infers a newer “version” of the Web, which is not technically accurate.

Web 2.0 and Virtual Community

According to Tim O'Reilly “ Web 2.0 is the business revolution in computer industry caused by the move to the Internet as platform, and an attempt to understand the rules for success on that new platform.” Web 2.0 is also viewed by some as a mere a buzzword that is used to put into context the services that have ascended from this new platform era web, services like; blogging, wikis, podcasts, tagging, and citizen media. Although Virtual Communities like The Well, have existed before the advent of Web 2.0, and in the Virtual Community, Howard Rheingold mentions that these online communities form "when people carry on public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships."

The combined history of virtual communities along with the new Web 2.0 applications that make the online experience more interactive have combined to make a vast landscape of virtual communities. Although Web 2.0 has been labeled a marketing buzzword by some, even buzzwords have their uses, and it is a good way for non-technical people to identify and define a difficult concept. Some of the Web 2.0 technologies that have made the greatest impact on many virtual communities include open-data formats, user-created data (such as Wikipedia) with the idea that the users own their own data and websites that encourage user contributions, such as reviews, comments and rankings. These enhancements make for a richer user experience, and help to build both strong social networks on a more “mature” web environment, that offers more tangible benefits.

New Bedford Virtual Communities

Aside from the official city website for New Bedford, I found another interesting online community. A Google search produced the Immaculate Mediatrix Online, maintained by the Franciscan Friars of New Bedford. I have often seen them walking around downtown, but didn’t know much about them, and never thought to look and see if they had a website. The official city website also has a pretty extensive list of outside links to local organizations, including the fishing industry and tourism. Although these were informative links, I didn’t find them to be interactive and there were no message boards for interaction with other members.

In her article Everything Old is New Again, Felicia Sullivan states “More than ever, community media centers need to lead our communities in thinking about how best to leverage these tools for community purposes. What is our role in creating citizens, not consumers? How do we marry the old technologies of radio and cable television with new forms such as blogs, podcasting, social networking software, and personal media devices (i.e., iPods)?”

In my neighborhood, there is a South End Civic Association, but I could not find a corresponding website. Like community television, a local online communication network, maintained by the civic association or a similar organization, would be a useful tool for my community. It could help to build social networks by allowing citizens to engage in debates and discussions. It would also be useful to have a resource and may increase participation in community and school events.

References
Sullivan, Felicia M., Everything Old is New Again, The Journal of the Alliance for Community Media, Winter 2005
Rheingold, Howard, Introduction to the The Virtual Community http://www.rheingold.com/vc/book/intro.html
O’Reilly, Tim, What is Web 2.0? http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/a/oreilly/tim/news/2005/09/30/what-is-web-20.html

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Working Definition of Community

Being a member of a community isn’t always easy. In a world where friends can be a click away but a thousand miles apart, where you can be next to someone but can’t talk except via instant messaging, and where you don’t know your neighbors next door but you do know intimate details about your friends across the country on Myspace, a venture into community requires a trust in an unrelated network of people.

Whether communities are defined by geographical boundaries or by the categorization of who belongs to a community and who does not, both are essentially the same, as Cohen suggests “boundary marking processes and rituals are a vital tool for defining community, identity, belonging and exclusion, and give a sense of reality to specific communities, although in fact they are merely mental or social constructs of insiders and outsiders”.

In addition to the idea of community being a group of people with a common interest, be it geographical location, social clubs, religious beliefs or ethnicity, communities can also be influenced by external events beyond their control. With the current economic situation it seems like there’s more call for help and more people in need of support and assistance. In chapter 1 of Community-ariasm, Smith explains how the term community is both shaping and being shaped by society itself, in an endless loop or re-creation. Economic situations, new technologies, available education, and social opportunities are just some of the factors that can contribute to the way in which communities are shaped, and if they are sustainable or if they will eventually die out.

Even a concept as malleable as community has a common thread, however. In the various readings and articles we have covered so far, the idea of community being a vehicle for self-actualization is touched on repeatedly. One of the key benefits people get from participating in community and their reciprocal relationships is a sense of belonging that is a part of their individual identity. “People construct community symbolically, making it a resource and repository of meaning, and a referent of their identity’ (Cohen 1985: 118).

Another defining aspect, which also contributes to the constant flux of the definition of community, is that even though individuals can experience a sense of self through them, often communities are more than just the people who are in it. A community can continue to exist even as its individual members move through it, and as new members enter into it, the community itself can remain rather unchanged.

Aristotle tells us that community requires different kinds of capacity, interest and character among its members because through the interplay of diversities, people are able to serve as compliments of one another and to attain a higher and better life by the mutual exchange of different services. The phrase “sense of community” begins to get at this meaning. It refers to a sharing of common beliefs that involves a connection at a more personal or emotional level. Words like “passion,” “devotion,” and “commitment” also come to mind when discussing the concept “sense of community.”

It is usually assumed that when people feel that they belong to a community, they have an active interest in ensuring that it functions well and are more likely to contribute to the well-being of the community. The emphasis on a collective well-being over individuals is a large part of Community-ariasm which has a focus of interest toward communities and societies and away from the individual. Smith’s explains in Chapter 3 of Community-ariasm that as long ago as 1955 George Hillery listed some 94 definitions of community he had found in the social science literature, and concluded that the only thing they all held in common was a reference to people.

From our class readings so far, it is evident that the definition of community continues to shift and evolve, and the introduction of modern communication methods, i.e. instant messaging, internet, cell phones, etc. have contributed significantly to the rapidly changing idea of community on a global scale. Even with the constant change and the difficulty in defining exactly what community is, it seems clear that the strength of ties between the groups, no matter what the subject matter is, is truly the essence of definition of community.

Works Cited:
Smith, G "Community - arianism" Chapter One: Community; ideology and utopia
Cohen, A. P. (1985) The Symbolic Construction of Community, London: Tavistock (now Routledge). 128 pages.

Media and Community Building Conclusion

The boundaries of Community can sometimes be drawn on a map, other times it is a category of people or characteristics of members. (Smith) As a communication tool, community media is beginning to adapt to emerging technologies and the ever-sharpening interactive features online. As a result, community boundaries continue to change and realign, creating a new generation of members with a constantly-evolving sense of community.

In this enviornment, the media landscape will be reshaped by the bottom-up energy of media created by amateurs and hobbyists. (Blau) As an empowerment tool, it is among the poor and oppressed especially, that community becomes a means to group solidarity and mutual help. (Smith) Because Community Media is able to operate independent of traditional corporate influences, public access to Community Media is vital to the democratic health of a community.

Community Media is an effective means of citizens interacting with community leaders and politicians, and an invaluable tool for holding them accountable when necessary. Community Media is also a gateway for the enrichment of educational opportunities for community members who do not have private access to new technologies or who need assistance in utilizing them. The future of Community Media is an exciting prospect, as new technology allows for the dissemination of information with an immediacy never seen before, as well as a rapidly evolving web that features more and more interactive features for the consumer.

All of these exciting technologies require us – the consumers- to be well educated and informed as to who the source of the content is, as well as hone our abilities to discern for ourselves which of these technologies adds value to our individual lives and which don’t.

Works Cited:
Smith, G; Community-arainism, Chapter 1
Blau, Andrew; The Future of Independent Media, Sept. 2004

Media and Community Building

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Web 2.0 and Virtual Communities

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New Bedford, Massachusetts

Working Definition of Community

Media and Community Building Conclusion

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