Communication - I used the competency of communication to read through the websites and write this final report effectively. I have edited and proof read my report and have tried to organize it well. Obviously, I used the computer and World Wide Web in order to also communicate with other individuals through chat rooms.

Valuing - I was able to recognize the different value systems of each virtual community, while at the same time becoming more familiar with my own. Through using the chat rooms and also engaging in the message boards, I had to try to understand multiple perspectives and to also be able to articulate my own ideas and to communicate what I wanted to say. I also had to demonstrate sensitivity towards others, specifically on the Angels in the Dark site.

Group Interaction - During the chat room discussions, specifically on the Talk City site, I had to interact with other people. As explained in the paper, my interaction during the first chat was not as successful as my second chat. I interacted more as an outsider during the first chat, and more casually during the second chat. I had a specific agenda in that I wanted to understand why people chatted, and the group interaction that took place between the two chats were different from each other.

Global Perspective - Throughout the four investigations, I tried to understand and respect the virtual communities that I explored. I tried to understand the perspectives of the people on the virtual communities and to understand where they were coming from.

Aesthetic Response - As I explored the communities that I wrote about for my four investigations, I also analyzed the multimedia elements on the sites. I looked at the art work, graphics, fonts, etc in order to make conclusions about what the site valued and what kind of community or culture it was trying to promote - professional, personal, academic, or any other themes.

Information Technology - I used this competency in order to access the communities through the World Wide Web, to communicate to the people who were a part of these communities (chat rooms), and to also write my paper (word processing).

Introduction Advantages Disadvantages Communication Analysis Participation Conclusion References

NCLC 350 Home