“A virtual community, e-community or online community is a group of people that primarily interact via communication media such as newsletters, telephone, email, internet social network service or instant messages rather than face to face, for social, professional, educational or other purposes. If the mechanism is a computer network, it is called an online community. Virtual and online communities have also become a supplemental form of communication between people who know each other primarily in real life.”
Wikipedia, 2009. Retrieved 19 May 2009 from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_communities
The online community I will be looking at is Cakecentral.com, a social networking site for all those who are interested in cake decorating. It caters for those who are just starting out (like me) to professionals.
On Cakecentral.com you can create your own profile, upload photos, share recipes, subscribe to the monthly newsletter, browse articles and contribute to members forums. It also has tips on cake decorating and baking and a wide variety of tools and their use.
According to Kollock (1999) people join online communities for four main reasons anticipated reciprocity, increased recognition, sense of efficacy and sense of community. Members of Cakecentral.com are able to satisfy their need for anticipated reciprocity through the online forums. They have the opportunity to share their knowledge with other member and also ask questions. Members gain increased recognition for their work and effort they put into the community not only through comment from other members but also from their status. The more a member contributes to the community the higher their status becomes. Members sense of efficacy is reinforced when they receive positive feedback on the advice that they give. By being part of Cakecentral.com members are able to feel like they are part of a community, they have the opportunity to interact with others in an informal manner and are also presented with many opportunities to contribute to the community.
Here is an example of some of the discussion that take place on Cakecentral.com:
Person 1: When making fondant, I have read several posts that say to let it rest overnight. Do you put it in the fridge to rest or can it be on the counter? I am making the marshmallow fondant. Does it ever need to be refridgerated?
Person 2: Hi, You can just wrap it really well and let it rest overnight on the counter and I have never had to refrigerate my MMF.
Person 3: COver it with wrap twice and then put in a ziplock baggy.......always wait atleast 8 hours, next even better to use it.I found that out the hard way. Good luck. Its fun to make.
Person 4: I make my own MMF sometimes in advance. To store it i just wrap it twice with cling wrap, put it in a zip lock bag then in a airtight container and just leave it in the pantry or on the bench and don't refrigerate it
At Cakecentral.com you must be log in to contribute to forums and other areas of the website. Member can also report and content they feel it is inappropriate, the website is moderated to ensure the content is safe for all users.
Online communities provide ways for people who do not live in the same geographical areas to communicate and interact. Communities such as FaceBook and Bebo allow friends and family to keep in touch via messaging and media uploads. Cakecentral.com allows people from around the world to come together and share their ideas and knowledge. This is one of the benefits of online communities as apposed to traditional notions of community. Unfortunately online communities do have their negative aspects. The potential for development of interpersonal skills isn’t present and it is also much easier for people to abuse the services.
Here is the web address for Cakecentral.com check it out!
http://www.cakecentral.com/index-cake-decorating.html
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