Online Social Community
An online social community, also known as a social networking website, has become the most popular meeting place for Americans of all ages. Millions of people have logged on and found one another through the many online social community network websites that have been created in the past ten years. These websites range from exclusive and invitation only sites for only the jet set crowd to the freest of free websites where even canines and felines have their profiles posted. These communities started out as something for high school and college students to spend evening and weekend hours perusing, but quickly turned into national phenoms that have pulled in people of all ages. Dating and matchmaking were the first reasons these sites were created, particularly meeting the Gen Y need to stay in touch with college friends. But these Internet neighborhoods quickly caught on as places where likeminded people from all walks of life could meet and discuss things of interest to their lives. From ecology to old cars to business networks where new customers and vendors could be found, World Wide Web neighborhoods have sprung up like wildfire, enabling people with similar interests but thousands of miles apart to converse daily if desired.
An online social community can have a serious tone to it and a mission to match. There are a number of websites that have been created to pull together persons from around the world who are concerned about ecology and the concern for possible global climate changes. There are social communities that champion certain medical issues that bring people together and there are educational websites that allow people to discuss and forum on subjects that affect every student in America. There are sites that unite book lovers and sites help artists sell their work as well as Internet websites that help connect families. But there are the not so serious online neighborhoods as well.
There are websites that offer dog lovers the opportunity to worship dogs, and cat lovers the same on another site. The social interaction on these sites centers on anecdotal stories of how cute their pets are and how quickly they were house trained. There are online social community sites for movies lovers who can opine on the esoteric meaning of Fahrenheit 451 as well as a site where young girls can display their fashion designs and share new ideas, usually punctuated my omg and lol. There are online social community websites that unite shoppers who can show pictures of their latest "bagged" quarry and where conversations can go on for hours over, "What, you paid how much for that?" And travel neighborhoods on the World Wide Web allow visitors to talk with natives for the best places to eat and see while others just allow world travelers to mingle and exchange stories and information.
In most cases, a social networking website will allow users to post profiles and pictures in order for others to get to know them better. These sites enable people to tell one's life story if desired; likes and dislikes, education, occupation, favorite music, and on some websites the ability to even embed video are also possible. There is little surprise that these sites are so popular. They allow a modicum of intimacy without involvement and only as much exposure as a person is comfortable with displaying. The online social community allows a person to share exactly what is on one's mind without fear of repercussion and in the safety of one's home and with no hint of where a person lives, truth can be said, anger can be displayed, love can be declared and dates for the unveiling can be made. One of the marks of a genuine Christian is the love of God's Word, the Bible. "Oh how I love they law, it is my meditation all the day. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119: 97, 105)
One of the most important issues regarding Internet neighborhoods is the concern about security. It is extremely important that the online social community providers that a person chooses have the ability to make sure that profiles are private unless the one owning the profile wants others to view it. A person should, of course, not use real names or real ID information unless ready to deal with unwanted emails, and visitors to one's site. A person should be able to see the disclaimer of the website without any hassle, and getting a hold of the webmaster ought to be an easy task. Some websites may charge a monthly fee, while others will be free.
If there is a downside to the presence of the online social community websites all over the Web, it can be their tendency to further alienate people physically from one another. The kids don't play outside together after school and during the summers, neighbors don't know one another and sitting before computer screens viewing flickering images made by mega pixels may easily add to the compartmentalizing of the American people. Even with video conferencing, which is sure to take off in the years to come, the ability to touch a shoulder in encouragement, to wipe a tear from a friend's eye and the ability to grasp and shake a warm hand in embrace may be further lost. Worse yet, what if the desire for those very human actions is lost? Tears are hard to wipe away with a mouse click.
An online social community can have a serious tone to it and a mission to match. There are a number of websites that have been created to pull together persons from around the world who are concerned about ecology and the concern for possible global climate changes. There are social communities that champion certain medical issues that bring people together and there are educational websites that allow people to discuss and forum on subjects that affect every student in America. There are sites that unite book lovers and sites help artists sell their work as well as Internet websites that help connect families. But there are the not so serious online neighborhoods as well.
There are websites that offer dog lovers the opportunity to worship dogs, and cat lovers the same on another site. The social interaction on these sites centers on anecdotal stories of how cute their pets are and how quickly they were house trained. There are online social community sites for movies lovers who can opine on the esoteric meaning of Fahrenheit 451 as well as a site where young girls can display their fashion designs and share new ideas, usually punctuated my omg and lol. There are online social community websites that unite shoppers who can show pictures of their latest "bagged" quarry and where conversations can go on for hours over, "What, you paid how much for that?" And travel neighborhoods on the World Wide Web allow visitors to talk with natives for the best places to eat and see while others just allow world travelers to mingle and exchange stories and information.
In most cases, a social networking website will allow users to post profiles and pictures in order for others to get to know them better. These sites enable people to tell one's life story if desired; likes and dislikes, education, occupation, favorite music, and on some websites the ability to even embed video are also possible. There is little surprise that these sites are so popular. They allow a modicum of intimacy without involvement and only as much exposure as a person is comfortable with displaying. The online social community allows a person to share exactly what is on one's mind without fear of repercussion and in the safety of one's home and with no hint of where a person lives, truth can be said, anger can be displayed, love can be declared and dates for the unveiling can be made. One of the marks of a genuine Christian is the love of God's Word, the Bible. "Oh how I love they law, it is my meditation all the day. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119: 97, 105)
One of the most important issues regarding Internet neighborhoods is the concern about security. It is extremely important that the online social community providers that a person chooses have the ability to make sure that profiles are private unless the one owning the profile wants others to view it. A person should, of course, not use real names or real ID information unless ready to deal with unwanted emails, and visitors to one's site. A person should be able to see the disclaimer of the website without any hassle, and getting a hold of the webmaster ought to be an easy task. Some websites may charge a monthly fee, while others will be free.
If there is a downside to the presence of the online social community websites all over the Web, it can be their tendency to further alienate people physically from one another. The kids don't play outside together after school and during the summers, neighbors don't know one another and sitting before computer screens viewing flickering images made by mega pixels may easily add to the compartmentalizing of the American people. Even with video conferencing, which is sure to take off in the years to come, the ability to touch a shoulder in encouragement, to wipe a tear from a friend's eye and the ability to grasp and shake a warm hand in embrace may be further lost. Worse yet, what if the desire for those very human actions is lost? Tears are hard to wipe away with a mouse click.
Online Social Community
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