Marie89, 3/4

In class on Tuesday, we talked about the community aspect of the Internet. Some argued that the Internet is a combination of many small communities while others argued that it was one large community. I had trouble discerning between the two, as I considered the Internet to be both. Today, people look to the Internet for community, whether it be Facebook, email, or Google. In any of these sites, we are looking to interact with others, or are drawing information from sources that are also open to other people. Independent of our motivations for using the Internet, we are part of a larger whole as we contribute and take utilize information on the web.

For my CMC 200 research paper, I studied online dating on the website, match.com. I found that all human beings have a need to communicate with others and create relationships. Some people even stated on their profiles that they were looking for friendship rather than to date, and that this was one of the easiest ways to meet people in the area. The Internet now acts as a domain in which to communicate with a variety of people and it is convenient and efficient. It is through the Internet, in today’s society, that people find it easiest to communicate and create relationships as it is one of the most popular modes of communication. So I do believe that people today look to the Internet as a confirmation of friendship, communication, and therefore community.

The ways in which communities function and from has changed with changing technology. It is now more diverse and gives people the ability to connect with whoever, whenever, on a more efficient scale. People may create relationships from the luxury of their desks and maintain them easily as well. Who knows what community will evolve into next.