Photo-sharing platforms (Flickr, Pinterest) function as online communities.
Online communities are collections of individuals who share interests and interact with each other in a virtual space . These are groups of people who, using digital platforms or services, organize themselves in a certain way through the Internet.
Nowadays, online communities are often created and developed thanks to social networks. However, there used to be other resources that served the same purpose, such as discussion forums , which still exist but have lost popularity.
History of online communities
Online communities emerged in the late 1970s with the so-called Bulletin Board System , better known by the acronym BBS . This type of software made it possible to exchange information by connecting a telephone line to a network. These bulletin boards are considered to have been the predecessors of Internet forums. At a military, academic and scientific level, the precedent was ARPANET , a computer network that was established at the initiative of the US Department of Defense.
With the appearance and then the massification of the Internet , online communities (also called online communities ) multiplied. Messaging programs, chat rooms and email, all tools available on the World Wide Web , made these groups proliferate.
Over time, social media ( Facebook , Instagram , Twitter ) became the most used resource for building online communities. Facebook groups and the use of hashtags and trends , for example, are widely used instruments.
Even video platforms ( YouTube , Vimeo ), instant messaging services ( WhatsApp , Telegram ), and online marketplaces ( Etsy , eBay ) can give rise to digital communities.
Members of online communities have avatars and user profiles.
Its characteristics
Online communities are defined by several distinctive characteristics. On the one hand, they operate through a digital system that enables communications and promotes the bond between members.
If we focus on the users, they are subjects who share a hobby , a taste or an inclination , being what they have in common that leads them to meet. The community can adopt different structures, with different internal rules and with members who may or may not have a specific role.
Thanks to virtuality , these communities do not have a physical headquarters and their members generally do not even know each other personally. A sense of belonging arises between them that creates symbolic ties.
Moderation and administration of online communities is a very important aspect. Beyond the regulations applied, it is common to promote respect for netiquette (Internet etiquette) to avoid internal conflicts.
There are technical support forums that are constituted as virtual communities.
Examples of online communities
We can find examples of online communities in digital activism . It is common for people to come together to defend causes or ideas, promoting campaigns and actions from the Web.
These groups usually form on online petition platforms ( Change.org ). A community can promote the protection of tropical forests , for example, by gathering signatures and support to try to influence the authorities who must control pollution. Another virtual community, likewise, may fight to prevent the closure of a cultural center , to mention another possibility.
Online learning communities are another example. Those who participate in MOOCs (massive open online courses) exchange information and help each other. That's common on major online learning platforms ( Coursera , Udemy ).
Its usefulness
Information sharing is usually the main goal of an online community. Members contribute and request data on the group's specific topic, which can be anything from an artist to a football club, a social cause or a profession.
In this framework you can also exchange opinions . These communities invite debate, often with administrators or moderators who aim to maintain harmony. It cannot be ignored that anonymity on the Internet leads to cyberbullying and attacking trolls.
It should be noted that there are virtual communities that function as support networks and self-help groups . As you can see, these types of groupings favor the expression of emotions and revolve around empathy.
Online communities and businesses
Companies are betting on social media marketing to build online communities. In this way, loyalty to a brand is encouraged.
Of course, company personnel are needed to encourage member participation. It is key that the community provides a valuable and interesting space for its members and is not simply an area for launching online advertising campaigns .
When the community functions as such, customers interact and satisfy their needs in these types of spaces. This increases the value of the brand and the dynamics can even contribute to increasing sales.
Another important aspect is that the company resolves doubts and provides advice to consumers through the online community. This benefit reinforces loyalty .