Comments on: Can community be online? http://choskins.co.uk/2009/01/27/can-community-be-online/ Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:52:50 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Sarah http://choskins.co.uk/2009/01/27/can-community-be-online/comment-page-1/#comment-45 Sarah Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:13:12 +0000 http://chrishoskins.wordpress.com/?p=163#comment-45 When I did my sociology dissertation on community the definition was "kinship ties" (from Toennies theory "gemeinschaft und Geschellshaft" - "community and psuedo-community") which previously related to a geographical village style family community. As kinship has changed with the times, families can be spread all over the country and the world and so the definition of community has evolved with it. So if your communication online echoes a kinship style of relationship I argue it can be true community. Some family members you spend more time with than others. Some you connect with more naturally than others. But it's still family. When I did my sociology dissertation on community the definition was “kinship ties” (from Toennies theory “gemeinschaft und Geschellshaft” – “community and psuedo-community”) which previously related to a geographical village style family community. As kinship has changed with the times, families can be spread all over the country and the world and so the definition of community has evolved with it.

So if your communication online echoes a kinship style of relationship I argue it can be true community. Some family members you spend more time with than others. Some you connect with more naturally than others. But it’s still family.

]]> By: Stewart http://choskins.co.uk/2009/01/27/can-community-be-online/comment-page-1/#comment-44 Stewart Tue, 27 Jan 2009 22:29:39 +0000 http://chrishoskins.wordpress.com/?p=163#comment-44 I think the key word in the defintition of community is 'in common' in the 4th one. Community for me is found and observed much more frequently when people share something or hold something in common. Twurch works because the people share following Christ and use of twitter. That community is deepened through 'extras' like A Hint Of Bergamot, a photoblog where some Twurch people share their passion for photography. Church is exactly the same. People sharing a belief in Christ. I don't get it when people say there can't be online community. Sure, it might not look like real life face-to-face community but it has many of the same traits, just different conduits to enable communication. I think the key word in the defintition of community is ‘in common’ in the 4th one.

Community for me is found and observed much more frequently when people share something or hold something in common. Twurch works because the people share following Christ and use of twitter. That community is deepened through ‘extras’ like A Hint Of Bergamot, a photoblog where some Twurch people share their passion for photography.

Church is exactly the same. People sharing a belief in Christ.

I don’t get it when people say there can’t be online community. Sure, it might not look like real life face-to-face community but it has many of the same traits, just different conduits to enable communication.

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