There are many online communities that are available on the internet. The three that I am going to mention are the popular Facebook, Twitter and Blogger.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/
Blogger: http://www.blogger.com/
Facebook:
"Is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004. As of January 2011, Facebook has more than 600 million active users." Retrieved March 29th 2011 from, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Facebook
This website is designed to connect you with family and friends from all over the world. You can upload photos, publish a status of what is on your mind or what you are doing, it allows you to comment on other photos that they have displayed and also allows you to connect with others that have similar interests. This site allows you to create events and invite your family and friends. It also lets you know when family and friends birthdays are coming up. This site is easy to use and easy to access. You can access this site on you desktop computer, laptop, regular mobile phone, iphone or android phone.
Twitter:
"Twitter is a real-time information network that connects you to the latest information about what you find interesting. Simply find the public streams you find most compelling and follow the conversations. At the heart of Twitter are small bursts of information called 'Tweets'. Each Tweet is 140 characters in length." Retrieved March 29th 2011, from http://twitter.com/about
This site is also used all over the world like facebook. It comes in array of languages such as English, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish.
It is very accessible, you can receive tweets on your mobile phone through out the day and you can access it on you desktop computer, laptop, iphone, android phone and regular mobile phone. Twitter also allows you to display photos and videos.
Blogger
Creating a blog is very easy. It has many features you can customise your blog, add photos and videos, join other blogs and follow blogs of your interests.
I think the purpose of this community is for individuals to express their own views & opinions or just like facebook and twitter to show others of what your thinking & what is going on in thier life. I feel this community gives the individual more to contribute to. You can expand more on your views unlike on twitter where you can just put a quick tweet out.
Searching through other blogs the information that is shared seems to be one way. The individuals that share the information arn't looking for others to comment, the blog they set up is just about their interests. In comparison Facebook and Twitter it is very common for others to comment on either a status or a photo that you may have on these online communities. I have found a group on Facebook that was of my interest and it is called 'OT LOVE OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY'. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/love.OT
On this page there is suggestions of theraputic activities for burns victims, photos of the happenings in OT, the people who have joined the group have asked questions and given advice to others in the group.
Privacy is an important ethical issue for all of these online communities, because I have my own Facebook account and my own blog I know that you can make your profiles private and only available to your family and friends. This is important to do if you don't want everyone and anyone looking at your profile.
Communtity "is a group of interacting organisms sharing a populated environment. In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, risks and a number of other conditions may be preset and common affectinf he identity of the participants and their degree of cohesiveness." Retrieved April 6th 2011, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community.
The benefits that these online communities have over a traditional geographical community is that you are able to visually see what your friends and family have been up to if they are travelling around the world. You can also keep in contact with them for free of charge as there is no cost to joining these communities. But if you were to call them on the phone it may cost you alot.
Limitations to these online communities maybe that you don't physically talk to them because you can just go to their profile and see what they have been doing. You lose that closeness of talking face-to-face.
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