Tutorial Six: Online Communities

An online community is defined as

“A virtual community that exists online whose members enable its existence through taking part in membership ritual. An online community can take the form of an information system where anyone can post content, such as a Bulletin board system or one where only a restricted number of people can initiate posts, such as Weblogs. Online communities have also become a supplemental form of communication between people who know each other primarily in real life.”  (“Online community,” 2011)  

Looking at Online communities I have decided to look at communities that tie in with the occupation of travel

The first is BootsnAll is a travel community for budget travelers, with travel stories, blogs, travel forum and flight search and accommodation. http://www.bootsnall.com/

This site is very interactive with many people leaving comments on articles, online discussions and questions, posting of photos although it there is no option to leave a comment or review of accommodation by members. The kind of postings people leave on forums are usually their recommendations of places they have visited or those who have questions about where they would like to go. a typical post might look like this  
"We are actually doing it: quitting our jobs and departing  on a 11-12 month trip. We humbly ask you to critique the per day budget estimates that we have compiled. If these daily budget figures are accurate we should have enough US$ to do our trip!" 

those who post questions are looking for information from others who have experience traveling in a particular place. Those who reply to forum posts or post information have a sense of anticipated reciprocity that other members will also post information valuable to them. For those responding to question there is also a sense of self efficacy in that they can provide information that is of value to others. There is a wider sense of a community of people who have similar experiences or interests.

CouchSurfing is a volunteer-based worldwide network connecting travellers with members of local communities, who offer free accommodation and/or advice. It is a very interactive website in the way that it is all about making social connections in the ‘real world’ which to me is much more interactive than any purely online community could be. Members have an opportunity to post comments on their couchsurfing experience. Through the site you are able to search members in a particular area and see their ratings or how active they are as a member. The website also provides tips for your couchsurfing experience such as being a good guest and staying safe.

Many people contribute testimonials such as this one

"CouchSurfing definitely changed my live. I found friends there and got to know interesting people. Thank CS I can enjoy giving and sharing everything: couch, food, music, stories, experiences... Being a part of this community makes me sure that there are still lots of good people all over the world :)

Agata Kamińska”

This highlights that people contribute to the community for an opportunity to make social connections and also that it is a highly reciprocal site with the whole idea of couch surfing being that you share your home with others and there is anticipated reciprocity that others will share their home with you. There is also a huge sense of an international community, of people who share values, interests and experiences. Again there is a sense of self efficacy for those contributing in that they feel capable of giving valuable advice or hosting someone to give them a positive experience of a place.

http://www.couchsurfing.org/

Roll Global

This is a blog of a couple who are independent travellers. The blog began with their one year honeymoon. The blog has a focus on rock-climbing cycling and also includes a review of y took with the gear they took with them and how it fared. This is the least interactive of the three online communities as interaction is mainly limited to comments on postings but you are able to subscribe to updates on the blog or by donating.

Comments left include things like “Tom said: Thanks for the cool description guys! I’m actually headed to Cambodia on Friday and its fun to hear your experiences. What currency did you end up using while you were there? Tom (Gavin’s buddy who bikes)” (in response to a posting on travel in Cambodia.” Or there are many supportive posts

 “Jg said: AWESOME Blog! Rad pics! Way to go!”  

So there is some reciprocity in that online users gain from reading the blog in inspiration and information and can give back in positive support or financial assistance. Information though is one way coming directly from the postings or in the creators answering questions in responses to postings. There is some sense of community but it appears that often those posting comments have a connection to the couple posting from the 'real world' such as Gavin's buddy Tom. In this way it is similar to other blogs in that it is a way to keep family, friends, and those who they meet traveling up to date on what they are doing.

http://www.rollglobal.org/

Ethical considerations as can include the anonymity of users/ members. Maintaining this anonymity is important for the privacy of the individual but also lacks accountability. Members can post offensive or inappropriate content without being held personally responsible. Without the social structure of a geographical community there are much fewer social norms controlling individuals behavior. Likewise individual members may not feel a need to reciprocate or contribute to a community despite how much they may use it.

The Benefits of an Online community are many. It is a way of making connections with others who have similar interests despite very large distances instantly. This fosters a sense of community. Online communities  can also compliment those communities that exist in outside of the internet such as friends following another friends blog like Roll Global or maintaining friendships initiated through CouchSurfing. This also is the case for social netwaorking sites such as facebook of myspace.  The internet enables a huge number can be part of an online community and within this large member base there is a great pool of collective knowledge. BootsnAll is a good example of this with many members all sharing information on the topic of travel. online communities allow silent observation so an individual can get an overview of the community before the decide to participate. For the individual there is  a sense of self efficacy, reciprocity and community. this is especially important if the individual is isolated socially or geographically.

Of course there are also several downsides to online communities that mean they can never fully replace the traditional idea of a geographically based community. One is that associated with all technology the 'digital divide' where there is unequal access. This is often due to who has not or has knowledge of how to use the technology needed for online communities or who has financial means of accessing this technology. Also there is the possibility of delusional reliance on a community. particularly those who are vulnerable or have limited social contact may become over dependent on an online community. The potential for rapid growth on the internet also means there is potential for exponential growth of a community changing the communities in ways that may be unforeseen of unwanted by the creator. The maintenance and monitoring of an online community is a large and often voluntary task and there is a question of who will do this. Also there is a lack of control of the reliability of information that is shared.

Online communities can offer a lot in the sharing of information, a sense of a community with a shared interest and as a was of adding to our existing social groups. For me it will never compare to a geographically based community as they cannot offer the same level of personal interaction and cannot meet fully our social needs.