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An online community is a virtual community whose members interact with each other primarily via the Internet. For many, online communities may feel like home, consisting of a “family of invisible friends." Those who wish to be a part of an online community usually have to become a member via a specific site and necessarily need an internet connection. An online community can act as an information system where members can post, comment on discussions, give advice or collaborate. Commonly, people communicate through social networking sites, chat rooms, forums, e-mail lists and discussion boards. People may also join online communities through video games, blogs and virtual worlds. Constance Elise Porter of Notre Dame in a paper entitled ''A Typology of Virtual Communities: A Multi-Disciplinary Foundation for Future Research'' offers this definition: "a virtual community is defined as an aggregation of individuals or business partners who interact around a shared interest, where the interaction is at least partially supported and/or mediated by technology and guided by some protocols or norms." ==Categorisation== The idea of a community is not a new concept. On the telephone, in ham radio and in the online world, social interactions no longer have to be based on proximity; instead they can literally be with anyone anywhere.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication - Wiley Online Library )〕 The study of communities has had to adapt along with the new technologies. Many researchers have used ethnography to attempt to understand what people do in online spaces, how they express themselves, what motivates them, how they govern themselves, what attracts them, and why some people prefer to observe rather than participate.〔 Online communities can congregate around a shared interest and can be spread across multiple websites.〔Baym, Nancy. "The new shape of online community: The example of Swedish independent music fandom."〕 Some signs of community are: *Content: articles, information, and news about a topic of interest to a group of people. *Forums or newsgroups and email: so that community members can communicate in delayed fashion. *Chat and instant messaging: so that community members can communicate more immediately.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Why Create an Online Community )〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「online community」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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