Of the four communities I investigated, the ones that I would continue to be members of would be the official Sade web site and college sites such as Talk City. I have been listening to Sade's music since before I began grade school. I love listening to her music and enjoy hearing news about her and her music, including upcoming releases, tour information, appearances, and any other interesting tid bits. I was looking forward to the release of her latest album for a very long time, and found the site useful for learning about the album before it came out. Now, I still could access the site to find out information about the latest news concerning Sade, tours, appearances, etc. Last time I accessed the site, which was about two months ago, there was a QuickTime interview available for fans to hear Sade speak of her latest album. I am sure that I will access the site in the future to find out interesting information, as well as access other Sade fan sites as well.

I would continue to be involved in virtual communities relating to college students. I find it interesting to be able to discuss college-related issues with people my age across the country. Whether conversation pertains to academics, social issues, or other interests, it is interesting to have the opportunity to speak to other college students about anything that I may want to talk about. My second chat experience in the college investigation was definitely more positive than the first chat I became involved in. During the first chat, I wasn't really being myself, but was instead asking questions like a reporter about how these students felt about chatting and why they enjoyed it. During the second chat, I was more casual and did not speak as if I were conducting an interview. In the future, I think that I would enjoy participating in college chats and expect that I will visit some.

I will obviously not continue to access or be a member of Angels in the Night, because the purpose of the site is provide support for children under the age of nineteen who have been victims of sexual and emotional abuse. I do hope that children who have been victimized continue to access the site and that it reaches more young people. I think that by participating in the web site, young people can start the first steps on the very difficult and often long road to healing. The services that the site offers are very useful and the support that its members and mentors provide is immeasurable.

I will not be a member of Women in Multimedia because I am considering changing my major to Education, and don't think that the site would be of great benefit to me in the future. I am aware that women have been and can continue to be very influential in the technology industry. The site doesn't interest me enough to join or to even stay a member. I think that this is an important element to consider with online communities. First, the site has to be personally appealing and interesting enough to a person to want to join. Then, there have to be key factors that keep the person a member. The goal is to not only attract members, but to also keep them. Regardless, the Women in Multimedia community is not one that I would continue to be a member of.

Introduction Advantages Disadvantages Communication Analysis Conclusion Competencies References

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