As I reflect on having taken NCLC 350, Cyberculture and Virtual Communities, I realize that I have discovered a new form of socialization and community that I did not realize existed before. I was aware that chat rooms existed and that people met over the Internet, but the scope of communities and the connections that people could make over the Internet is a new area of socialization of which I have become more informed. Through the four investigations (arts and entertainment, college students' interests, social issues, and careers), I have learned that the Internet allows individuals to form deeply connected relationships with other individuals in remote areas. People have the opportunity to share experiences, perspectives, ideas, knowledge, interests, etc. In addition, individuals have the opportunity to provide support, or gain support, in a variety of topic areas, such as physical, emotional, sexual, and drug abuse. Whether engaging in a chat room or posting comments on a message board, individuals have the opportunity to learn of and share sentiments on a variety of topics and issues, such as love/relationships, education, health, careers, entertainment, politics/news, travel, culture/religion, and a whole variety of other topics of interest. This form of communication and of connecting to other individuals is a relatively new form of socialization, and one that I expect will grow.

In this final report of my four virtual community investigations, I will discuss Advantages, Disadvantages, Communication, and Participation relating to my investigations. In addition, I will explain which New Century College competencies I have utilized in order to complete these assignments, as well as provide a reference page. The virtual communities that I investigated were the official Sade website, College Chat room andTalk City, college web sites, Angels in the Night, and Women in Multimedia. Sade is one of my favorite singers, so for the arts and entertainment investigation, I thought that it would be interesting to analyze her web site and how community is involved on the site. For the college investigation, I wanted to specifically look at various college chat sites and engage in conversations on these sites. College Chat room and Talk City offered the most interesting chat experience and the ones that I wrote about in my investigation. For the social issue investigation, I thought that there would be a lot of communities and support available to people who have suffered different forms of abuse. I decided to narrow down the category to children who have been victims of abuse. During my search process, when I found Angels in the Night, a site dedicated to offering support to young victims of sexual abuse, I knew that this was a strong website and an excellent form of a community to discuss. Finally, for the career investigation, I chose to look at careers in Multimedia (myself being an Information Technology major and minoring in Multimedia), and I came across Women in Multimedia. This is the official website of a non-profit organization, based in San Francisco, California, encouraging the involvement of women in hi-tech fields. Being a technology major, as well as a young woman, I thought that this would be an appropriate and interesting site to look at. Though this site did not have a chat room or message board, by looking at it, it was evident that there was still a strong sense of community. It united women, especially those in technology-related fields, encouraged their community, spread their message, and worked to encourage women to play influential roles in technology.

The communities that I investigated made me more aware of how the Internet allows for people to come together in a way that was not possible a couple of years ago. To find common interests with individuals thousands of miles away, and to be able to contact them for close to nothing, is a magnificent advancement in communication. To find support from individuals who have shared experiences, or to provide support, is a greatly beneficial and helpful tool.

Advantages Disadvantages Communication Analysis Participation Conclusion Competencies References

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