Throughout this course and through doing these four virtual community investigations, I have gained greater awareness and insight into the wide variety of communities that exist on the Internet. I have learned that they not only exist, but are also of great service to many people. Some communities exist more for recreational reason, though some are more serious to different people, such as arts/entertainment sites (Sade's site), as well as sites for college students (Talk City). Other sites, dedicated to promoting awareness, such as Women in Multimedia, or for providing support to victims of abuse, drugs, etc, such as Angels in the Night. There are countless virtual communities a person could join or explore, in order to meet personal, recreational, professional, or academic purposes. I enjoyed exploring these communities, though I did have my difficult moments (finding good sites, examining all of the details of the sites, etc.). I encourage people to become members of virtual communities because I think that they do offer many advantages.

However, the two things I would tell people to be cautious of is to not reveal personal data to people because of the question of their true identities, and to also be careful to not become addicted or dependent on this form of socialization (as I discuss in the disadvtanges section). The investigation and community that I think made the most impact on me was the Angels in the Night site. This was an excellent example of an online community in that it offered support for its members (by its creators as well as by other members), information, resources, excellent services, and made users (young victims) feel comfortable, supported, trusting, and aware of the services available to them. The chat room was a great place for these kids to come together to share their troubles and to find support. A lot of emotional security was provided for these young people. I find the work that this site does, as well as other sites like it, admirable and commendable. Overall, the experiences I had during my investigations have made me more aware of virtual communities and a supporter of them. I expect that I will continue to become involved in virtual communities in the future.

Introduction Advantages Disadvantages Communication Analysis Participation Competencies References

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