Recreating community: a virtual case study.

Abstract

The application of the adjective "virtual" to a variety of physical concepts - classroom, company, corporation, library, office - has become common as organisations create new means of conducting business. Through virtual communities mechanisms are implemented for various activities ranging from managing collaborative projects, initiating electronic commerce applications and training staff, to playing games. A typical virtual community comprises a group of physically disparate individuals, unknown to one another in person, brought together for the first time, usually for the purposes of work. The project described in this paper deviates from this norm: individuals previously known to one another, who had worked (and, in several cases, lived) in close proximity, have been brought together again, the main purpose of this reunion not being their work. This development of a forum for former student colleagues to meet over the networks raises some interesting issues regarding the development of virtual communities.