History of Virtual Communities
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ScribdTranslationsHistory of Virtual Communities
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ScribdTranslationsHistoryedit]
The idea of virtual communities is as old as the concept itself.Internet, and in the case
of non-computer communities much earlier than the invention of it
radioThe first virtual community was born in the 1970s, although it wasn't until the
years90when they develop exponentially and become accessible to
the general public, all thanks to the birth of theWorld Wide Web(WWW) and
the generalization of tools such as theemail, thechatsor themessaging
snapshotUntil then, its use was limited to the scientific field and to the
computer experts.
Civil users, without access to the Internet, implemented and popularized the use of
BBSthe Bulletin Board System, a system that
It operated through modem access via telephone line to a central (the
BBS) that could be based on one or more telephone lines. In BBS it was possible
start conversations, post comments, exchange files, etc. For the same reason
that were accessed via telephone line, they were independent communities. It was very
common in the time that individuals used their own home equipment
to provide the service even with a single input modem.
Nowadays, virtual communities are a very useful tool from a point of
business view, as they allow organizations to improve their work dynamics
internal, the relationships with their clients or increase their procedural efficiency. In
Regarding their social function, virtual communities have become a place where
that the individual can develop and relate to others, thus acting as
a tool for socialization and recreation. According to estimates fromKozinets
(1999), in the year2000There were more than 40 million virtual communities on the internet.
BBS vs Internetedit]
With the emergence of the Internet and its open access to the general civil community, the BBS
they quickly fell out of use because the limitation of sharing a single space was
widely surpassed by free access to the Internet to many networks at the same time,
allowing the creation of diverse interest groups and contacting them in a single session
telephonic.
In addition, the growing interest in the Internet from various groups drove the development of
technologies such as databases and greater security that allowed the public to
to set up interest groups more economically with greater scope
crossing the borders of the host countries and obtaining exchange with other groups of
long-distance interest without the need to close off to phone connections with
unique groups.
Although some of the most famous BBS migrated their platforms to the Internet, it is little
common its use for the new generations that have grown up with the platforms more
populars, which currently allow to create communities in just a few minutes like
Yahoo! Groups and Microsoft Groups among others.
Definitionedit]
A Virtual Community is a group of people that includes the following
elements:
• They want to interact to satisfy their needs or carry out roles.
specific.
• They share a specific purpose that constitutes the reason for being of the
virtual community.
• With computer systems that mediate interactions and facilitate the
cohesion among the members.
The biggest obstacle to the development of communities is the difficulty of organization.
internal of them.[citation needed] In many cases, too much time is lost creating
the structure of the community, which leads to losing the true meaning of the
same, confusing the structure with the being of the group.[citation required]
The Virtual community is defined by 3 distinct aspects:
• The virtual community as a place: where individuals can maintain
relationships of a social or economic nature.
• The virtual community as a symbol: since the virtual community has a
symbolic dimension. Individuals tend to feel symbolically united to
the virtual community, creating a sense of belonging.
• The virtual community as virtual: virtual communities have traits
common to physical communities, however, the distinguishing feature of the
a virtual community is one that develops, at least partially, in a place
virtual, or in a place built from telematic connections.
Objectivesedit]
The main objectives of the virtual community are as follows:
• Exchange information (obtain answers)
• Offer support (empathy, express emotion)
• Conversing and socializing informally through communication
simultaneous
• Debate, usually through the participation of moderators.
Typesedit]
There are different types of virtual communities.[citation needed] :
• Discussion forums
• email and email groups
• News groups
• Chat
• Multiple User Dimension: it is a system that allows its users
become the character they desire and visit imaginary worlds where
to participate alongside other individuals in games or other types of activity.
• Content managers
• Peer to Peer (P2P) Systems
• BBSBulletin Board System
And in addition to those of an informational nature, there are those that are linked through others.
means:
• Chat boxes popular at the beginning of the 90s consisted of a telephone exchange.
in which several users coincided.
• Amateur radio communities, as old as the invention itself and
are still present through open radio channels and exchange
information without being physically in the same place.
• Television shows, typically with a program as the host that concentrates the
contacts of the members and exchange with them through the broadcast
televisual.
Aspects to consideredit]
The following are the main aspects to consider for
reach the maximum development of business initiatives based on
virtual communities[citation needed] :
• A virtual community is built on 2 fundamental pillars: The
communication and a desire for relationship among members with common interests
• Measure success
• Strengthen the sense of community
• Analyze needs
• Promote self-management
• Minimize control
• Specialize papers
• Technological structure
Benefits they provideedit]
The main benefits that virtual communities bring to businesses are
the following[citation needed] :
• Branding
• Relationship marketing
• Cost reduction
• Income provision
• Development of new products
• Introduction of new products
• Creation of entry barriers
• Acquisition of new customers
• Cyberculture