Virtual Communities - Tales, Wales and Woes

Tales, Wales and Woes
No essay on virtual communities would be complete without dealing with the issues and problems of these communities. As in real life no community if problem free. However, the problems within virtual communities can overlap into real life and vice versa. In this section I will discuss a variety of the issues and problems of online communities that I have observed and read about. The problems are not limited to those told nor is this section meant to discourage one from belonging to a virtual community. But as with anything in life it is best to know the good and the bad to make a more informed decision.

Disorders/Illnesses of Virtual Communities
Some such problems of online virtual communities have already been labelled as disorders and written about. I will discuss two such problems as I found in my research.
IAD: Internet Addiction Disorder
PCUD: Pathological Computer Use Disorder
These and other such disorders or illnesses refer to those who partake in online activities to the point of ignoring other important areas of their lives. An excellent article called Is the Internet Addictive, or Are Addicts Using the Internet? by Storm A. King discusses the signs of these problems, who is likely to be addicted and suggested treatments.
Another website discussing issues and symptoms of IAD is The Psychology of Cyberspace - Computer and Cyberspace Addiction . This site details the common criteria for diagnosing someone with IAD. On the lighter side this site also lists the Top 10 Signs You're Addicted to the Net as listed with tongue-in-cheek and humor. Although they are meant to be funny they bare a striking similarity to the real signs of IAD.
Another such site that treats web addiction lightly even allows you to join the web addicts club and put their logo at the bottom of your webpage. Join at I am a Web-A-Holic.

Security Issues
With virtual communities I see security issues that fall into two categories - those one faces when online and those one faces if you choose to meet face-to-face.
As with any online situation, be it just surfing or sitting in the lounge of a virtual community, you are opening your PC to possible security breaches. Hackers have designed programs that when inadvertently downloaded by a user can infect your PC with nasty viruses. There are also situations where hackers have used software freely available on the net to obtain information about those connected to the web and use for their own illegal purposes. This section does not tell you how to protect yourself but does warn you to be careful.
The other caution that online community members should exercise is how much information they give out to other members. Be careful who you trust. Giving out personal information such as a phone number or street address in a public lounge is especially not wise since you have no idea who is lurking in the wings of a room listening to and noting every word displayed. Teenagers and young children should be cautioned and perhaps monitored by parents so as to not give out information that could later bring harm to them.

Meeting Face-to-Face
You have been chatting for months. Everything seems wonderful, so what is the next step? Let's meet face-to-face! Seems like a great idea and hopefully in most cases it is and will be a wonderful experience. But before you take that step one should be careful in doing so and exercise some cautions.

Let someone in your real life know your are about to meet with someone from your virtual community. Do not worry about seeming foolish - it may save your life. Provide them with the details as much as you know and if you have no details to provide, I would question whether you really should be meeting such a secretive person.

Meet in a public place. Choose somewhere where you can be seen and maybe bring a friend or have a friend observe from a close distance.

Rather than sharing too much information such as home address or phone number perhaps meet in public several times until some trust can be built up.

Be wary of lies told. If your online friend changes their story it is likely they are hiding something and perhaps not all that they appear.

These are only some suggested cautions. There are bad guys/girls in real life and online. Online they seem to be able to disguise themselves better so be extra careful. Better safe than sorry.
Recently where I live and I am sure in many other cities there was a story on the news of a failed abduction of a teenager by an online pal. They had met in a "teen" chat room and become friends over a number of months. He showed up in town and somehow convinced her to leave with him. It turned out he was not a teen but a 28 year old adult. Luckily the teen did escape any harm and the man has been charged. This tale of the web ended ok but it could have been worse. So as noted above when agreeing to a face-to-face meeting or revealing personal information please take precautionary measures.

The Survey Says
Tales of the web are not all doom and gloom. In this section of my essay I will summarize some of the replies to a survey I sent to some 80 odd online friends. In effort to get an idea of how my many online friends and acquaintances felt about virtual communities, I sent out a survey with several questions that I felt relevant. The questions asked are listed in Appendix A - Survey Questions . I would like also at this time to thank again those that took the time to respond. I received 13 replies. It appears online friends hate responding to surveys as much as the rest of the world...lol. Also as promised the identities of those who responded will not be revealed.

Some belong to only one community, others belonged to many

Time online ranged from 3 hours to 40 hours a week.

Those who responded have been online anywhere from 6 months to 3 years.

Almost all used e-mail and pagers. Some also use ICQ.

Most felt there was definitely a sense of community and have made friends, had relationships and one who replied is getting married shortly to someone she met online.

Some have had face-to-face meetings. Those who hadn't expressed the desire to do so someday. Some did express disappointment in some of their experiences but in general most meetings had gone quite well.

As for why most went online, the answers varied somewhat but in general most expressed the desire to meet people. One noted that as he/she lived in a remote area so going online provided them with some added company at lonely times. Some saw it as a life long habit and others saw it as a passing phase that started out with many hours and has lessened somewhat as the novelty wore off. One answer I especially liked - "Going online kind of helps to break down barriers that exist in real life. When used properly, there is no mention of age, race, location (lol), religion or anything else, that is used to divide people into neat little social groups. You can get to know someone based on how they act online. Granted some people put on a big show, but overall, it allows people to be honest, perhaps for the first time in their lives."

Only a few had websites for sharing online information, pictures, etc.

Many stated that they felt as close to online friends as they did their real life friends and perhaps in some cases were able to talk easier online friends.

All stated that they acted the same online as in real life. However a few did mention that perhaps they were somewhat bolder or more outspoken online.

As for the affect on real life, this answer varied from respondent to respondent. One said they now find it easier to socialize in real life thanks to being online. Another's life will change drastically as she is marrying the mate she met online. Others stated no real change in their lives.

Most said that their friends and family did not complain about time spent online. One did state (and I get the same complaint from my husband) that the only complaint they got was because the other one wanted the computer - lol.

As for the last question, I got everything from a poem :) to "where's my $50?" ...lol.

One final comment on the surveys. It would be interesting to see the answers to some of the questions had I been able to survey the family and friends of those who responded. Would they agree with the answers given or have a completely different response?
As for my own answers, well some would be similar to those that replied. As for whether its a phase or life long habit, I would have to say yes, I will continue to go online for as long as virtual communities exist. I have noticed however that when I first went online my time was probably somewhat excessive but as time passed the amount of hours became more reasonable. It is kind of like a kid with a new video game - at first he/she can't get enough and then eventually he/she plays it less and less.
Next Section: Conclusion