Common Myths about Virtual Communities

Since net based communities are only in their second decade there is still not a lot of information on how the process actually works. Evaluating them much like any other traditional community seems to be the best approach because individuals tend to form relationships and communities based on need, interest and proximity. In the following posts, I will include some of the pitfalls I've noted in discussions of online community. Each archetypical description contains grains of truth but on closer examination proves to be somewhat misleading. This information serves to create a baseline understanding of how online community may be perceived throughout the literature and delineates common administrative assumptions that have the potential of undermining the hard work of the community planners and builders (both staff and volunteers). The tools for addressing these prevalent misconceptions will appear later in this blog.