History Of Online Communities

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People share views, experiences and debate over controversial ones in online communities, which have become a new forum for information exchange. One winning attribute of an online community is the ease with which people can communicate with each other. The emergence of social networking software makes it all possible.

According to the definition given by Dictionary.com a community is "a group of people having common interests; sharing participation and fellowship". Online communities are virtual rooms where you interact with like-minded people or even those who debate over your views. The most important feature of being online is that other members of the community are not able to see you, nor are you able to see them. This helps in many aspects, as the identity of the user is kept confidential.

Inception Of The Online Communities

Earlier, the Internet was primarily used for correspondence and programming. It gradually moved on to networking and making new contacts. This is where the idea of having an online community took birth. Website mangers had constraints in adding appeal and gathering new members, due to the scarcity of resources and less advanced technology - yet quite a few communities turned out to be successful.

First Online Communities

A community known as Newsgroup used social networking software and served as the primary driver for the growth of the net during the years 1993-94. Among the other early communities was 'The Well', started in 1984 in California. It was primarily used for sharing of stories and views. It was the only site during that time to stress using real names.

Prominent Communities

Everyone is familiar with social networking website design and communities like MySpace, Facebook, and Yahoo groups. With the expansion of the Internet there are more options to choose from. Myspace has only been in existence for three years and generates more page views than Google.com. It serves adults, youth and everyone in between. Facebook, another counterpart of MySpace, is popular with the student population as photographs and personal information is exchanged very frequently. Though famous for doubling as dating sites, these communities have been successful in attracting members from all walks of life.

Over the years, there was a subsequent rise in Internet use as a way of doing business, with sites like America Online, Ebay, Earthweb and Xoom having experiencing pheonomenal growth. Online communities are now outpacing even these well known companies, which took years, even decades, to build!

A common myth is that online communities are only useful for dating and meeting new friends. However, it is now a well-established fact that companies make use of online communities in order to make new contacts and expand their business relationships.

Reasons For The Rise Of Online Communities

As the web matures, new sites ands communities spring up all the time; however famous ones like MySpace and Facebook have yet to find competitors who offer similar quality. There is an array of choices available on the Internet. People can choose and enroll in any online community according to their preferences and needs.

To enhance the site and attract new members, site managers and owners need to have a definitive plan. In this way, owners can be assured that customers will return to their site and continue business. Besides the commercial value, online communities also serve as virtual classrooms, imparting knowledge and encouraging the sharing of ideas through a user-friendly medium.

Online communities are no longer just a passing fad. They are here to stay and will continue as long as users spend time on the Internet. Online communities have paved the way for easier business networking, and have simplified interaction between people from every corner of the globe. They can do the same for your Internet business.