The physical differences between real and online communities have been addressed so I will mention some of the similarities instead.

In the past 10 years that I have participated in IRC and other message boards, I have celebrated with people as they have gotten married and had children and mourned with people when they experienced loss. I have discussed many more personal topics online than I have in person and with a broader range of people from many more cultures. In the real world I only live in one place at a time, but online I encounter thousands of people from around the world.

There are fewer barriers online and so I have also found myself more readily able to discuss things like religion than in the real world. I discuss religion in the real world, but online I get the advantage of unfiltered speech that I know is a person's honest opinion because they have nothing to hide from me. My friends will disagree with me, but not to the point of hurting a friendship. Message boards allow people to say what they really think with fewer consequences.

Forums aren't a substitute for real social interactions, but I think they are a valuable addition to them.

Asker's Rating:

Permalink | Report