What Defines a Community?

	Duration: 07:59 minutes Upload Time: 07-10-02 14:58:26 User: AnthroVlog :::: Favorites :::: Top Videos of Day
Description: Scholars have argued for a long time about whether online groups can be considered communities. Of course, there are many different types of online groups, some of whom consider themselves a community and some who do not. Some people attribute Internet-based interaction to breaking up local communites. But as Wellman (1996) points out, for many people in the United States, people's strongest social ties have not been local for quite some time. He argues that industrial forces have been changing the composition of our social networks over the course of the last hundred years--long before the Internet appeared on the scene. In conducting online research among video sharing site participants, I've noticed that YouTube is vast with people relating positive and negative experiences they have had on the site. But what is particularly interesting to me is that in discussing whether or not YouTube feels like a community to them, the interviews revealed what the individuals defined as the characteristics of community. To me this is an important part of the video. Many different defintions of community are mentioned in this video both in words and images. Can you identify them? Which definitions seem most persuasive to you? This footage was taken at the SouthTube meeting in Georgia on September 22-23, 2007. Please note that this is a research site and that comments posted to the site may be used in research. For more information about the study and how posted comments are used in research please see: http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=AnthroVlog
Comments
proudyke ::: Favorites P.S. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to partake in your research. :-) 07-10-03 05:35:59 __________________________________________________
proudyke ::: Favorites Thank you for being there Patricia and for recording a small slice of voices (and images). Haters will always be there, but like a light in a dark room, the positiveness of most You Tubers will shine through and overcome their negativity. Love is infinite, pass it on. 07-10-03 05:34:35 __________________________________________________
BigJoeSmith ::: Favorites Prior to being accosted by the grammar police, I meant "Dale's" above. hahaha Since I'm commenting I should also mention this is a terrific video. 07-10-03 02:22:24 __________________________________________________
BigJoeSmith ::: Favorites Dales words really hit me hard... his words were poetic and true to life. 07-10-03 02:18:32 __________________________________________________
ShortbusMooner ::: Favorites Uh-oh! There I was! LOL! *blushes* ZenArcher did explain it so eloquently! :) What a fun community! Thanx for being part of it, Patricia! 07-10-02 22:56:03 __________________________________________________
vikingsquid ::: Favorites Thanks a bunch Patricia for asking these questions. Very interesting study of community and what it defines. 07-10-02 22:46:48 __________________________________________________
hmarty ::: Favorites hmmm, I beg to differ slightly. We may not have control over who is in the community, my thought is we do have some choices in who we associate with. That was more of my line of thinking. Hugs, hmarty :) 07-10-02 22:32:37 __________________________________________________
Frequency100 ::: Favorites Excellent video Patricia! Loved it. YES! YouTube is a community. No doubt. 07-10-02 22:23:09 __________________________________________________
DaleATL2 ::: Favorites Thank you Patricia. This is a wonderful examination of people's thoughts on communities within the online world. Thank you for asking me to take part. 07-10-02 22:12:46 __________________________________________________
ZenArcher ::: Favorites I have made that statement about it being a family reunion. Yes we do choose our friends unlike our families. However, coming on a social site like Youtube, we do NOT have any more control over who belongs to the community than we do who we are related too. Be Well! ~ Zen Archer 07-10-02 22:07:10 __________________________________________________