Virtual Community

A Virtual Community is a cognitive agent community where cognitive agents (community members) interact through digital communication mediums to create social connections and achieve shared purposes.

• AKA: Online Community, e-Community, Digital Community, Networked Community, Cyber Community, Internet Community.
• Context:
  • It can (typically) facilitate Digital Social Interaction through communication platforms.
  • It can (typically) maintain Virtual Social Presence through online participation.
  • It can (typically) develop Digital Social Norms through online behavior patterns.
  • It can (typically) establish Virtual Identity through digital personas.
  • It can (typically) foster Online Collaboration through shared digital workspaces.
  • It can (typically) create Digital Social Culture through virtual interactions.
  • ...
  • It can (often) build Digital Social Networks through online connections.
  • It can (often) share Digital Community Resources through virtual platforms.
  • It can (often) generate Community Generated Content through collaborative creation.
  • It can (often) maintain Community Knowledge Base through digital archives.
  • It can (often) establish Community Governance through online moderation.
  • It can (often) support Virtual Events through digital gatherings.
  • It can (often) utilize Social Software Tools through platform integration.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Small Online Community to being a Large Online Community, depending on its member count.
  • It can range from being an Informal Virtual Community to being a Formal Virtual Community, depending on its interaction structure.
  • It can range from being a Single Platform Community to being a Multi Platform Community, depending on its platform scope.
  • It can range from being a Short Term Virtual Community to being a Long Term Virtual Community, depending on its community lifespan.
  • It can range from being a Public Virtual Community to being a Private Virtual Community, depending on its access restriction.
  • ...
  • It can integrate with Physical Social Groups for blended interaction.
  • It can connect through Communication Channels for member interaction.
  • It can support Digital Service Platforms for community function.
  • It can implement Social Software Systems for community management.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Communication Based Communitys (for social interaction), such as:
    • Internet Forums (for topic discussion), such as:
      • Discussion Board enabling threaded conversations.
      • Q&A Platform facilitating knowledge exchange.
    • Chat Systems (for real time communication), such as:
      • Chat Room supporting instant messaging.
      • Voice Chat Channel enabling audio communication.
  • Gaming Virtual Communitys (for online gaming), such as:
    • Multiplayer Game Communitys (for group gaming), such as:
      • MMO Guild coordinating team gameplay.
      • Gaming Clan organizing competitive play.
    • Gaming Platform Communitys (for game discussion), such as:
      • Game Forum sharing gaming strategys.
      • Streaming Community watching gameplay content.
  • Professional Virtual Communitys (for work purposes), such as:
    • Online Professional Networks (for career development), such as:
      • Industry Community sharing professional knowledge.
      • Expert Network facilitating professional collaboration.
    • Development Communitys (for software creation), such as:
      • Open Source Project coordinating code development.
      • Developer Forum discussing technical solutions.
  • Social Network Communitys (for social connections), such as:
    • Social Media Groups (for social sharing), such as:
      • Interest Group connecting through shared interests.
      • Fan Community discussing shared enthusiasms.
    • Support Networks (for mutual assistance), such as:
      • Help Forum providing community support.
      • Advice Community sharing personal experiences.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • a Physical Community (like a City), which relies on face-to-face interaction.
  • a Research Community, which typically requires physical conferences and in-person meetings.
  • a Digital Platform, which provides technical infrastructure without community dynamics.
  • a Social Network Service, which enables connections but may lack community cohesion.
  • a Web Directory, which lists resources without fostering interactive relationships.
• See: Social Network, Cyberbullying, Digital Culture, Online Society, Virtual Organization, Digital Communication, Network Community, Social Software, Internet Social Network.

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References

• (Wikipedia, 2009).
  • A virtual community, e-community or online community is a group of people that primarily interact via communication media such as newsletters, telephone, email, internet social network service or instant messages rather than face to face, for social, professional, educational or other purposes. If the mechanism is a computer network, it is called an online community. Virtual and online communities have also become a supplemental form of communication between people who know each other primarily in real life. Many means are used in social software separately or in combination, including text-based chat rooms and forums that use voice, video text or avatars. Significant socio-technical change may have resulted from the proliferation of such Internet-based social networks.

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