What do we see as visual signs of community? In place-based communities, appearances are connected to sense of community. Neighborhoods with clean yards, lit porch lights in the evenings, little trash strewn around public areas, and flower pots displayed by houses have higher sense of community than those that are dirty, unlit, and undecorated. But […]
Traditionally community has been defined broadly as a group of people formed around either a location or social relationships. Even before online communities were added to the mix, there were a multitude of definitions for community. With changing connections come new ideas about community, and I’ve been developing my understanding of community with a twist […]
Rather than being one massive entity, the Internet is actually composed of a variety of media and how we use them influences outcomes. Not only does use of the Internet for information as opposed to entertainment affect interactions and behaviors, there are differences when you look at specific areas within information or entertainment media too. One example can be seen in online gaming research that specifically contrasts social capital outcomes in MMOGs with high- and low-level social interaction.