Cyberspace communities

[JerryRobin77]

The advent of the internet has redefined many aspects of our lives. From business to shopping to leisure, we are doing most of our work and play online. As a result our social lives have started suffering. But the internet has provided the solution to this as well. Netizens have set up many a community Web site to interact with like minded people, share common interests, values or problems and help resolve the same by mutual support and interaction. These cyberspace communities have the advantage of not being limited by physical boundaries of time and space. You can meet up online with a friend from any part of the world at any time that suits both of you.

Some tools which are used on a community web site to exchange views are bulletin boards, chat rooms, forums, newsletters, calendars and blogs. Many companies encourage communities to build on their websites as it gives the users a sense of belonging in the vast and impersonal world of the Web. This not only encourages return visits from the users but it gives the company a microcosm of the society that will use its products. It can test a product on this group before launching it in the ‘real’ world. It will get instant feedback and can make necessary modifications based on user response. These companies should try to encourage all kinds of user discussions even if they are critical of the company. Only then will they get a genuine feel of the public pulse.

The members are the most important factor in a community web site. Community forums and chat rooms can be moderated or not. In case of un-moderated forums, it is up to the members to realize that they are part of a community and maintain the necessary dignity and decorum. They should not indulge in abusive language and should also make it a point to report others doing the same. Discussions should be held in the correct spirit. It is up to the webmaster to keep the members of a community web site informed about all events that are planned. For this a calendar of events should be maintained on the site. Bulletin boards are useful in that they inform visitors about what the site is all about and if they find it interesting they can register themselves.