Rina Al Mughni_My Experience in Virtual and Real Community

Sourse: Google image

                  

           

The structure, operation and composition of virtual communities defer, in a certain way, from real (physical) communities. There are several characteristics of virtual communities that do not exist in the realm of the physical world. Virtual communities are often not circumscribed by the territorial and geographical limit of the physical interaction. For example, I can communicate easily with people all over the world by using the internet. I can chat, share information and exchange various files all in the same time over certain networks such as hotmail, face book, and twitter. Additionally, virtual community is not limited by time except in the chat room; therefore, I can communicate with my friends and other people for 24 hours. I do not have to worry about particular time to access and contact. For example, I might be able to send emails to my friends in the midnight, but I cannot go to their home at that time to give or share information. Also, virtual community is normally based on text and corporeal; therefore, there is no mean for the stigma. For instance, whenever I feel uncomfortable to meet and talk to particular people face-to-face, I send them an email and tell them whatever I feel without feeling embarrassed or irritated by having to meet with them. In contrast to these advantages of the virtual community, disadvantages also have a place in this community. People in this community have a tendency to be on basis of the text. Only what is written is exchanged; there is an absence of no-verbal clues like gestures, the way we dress up, the posture, and the facial expressions. Also, members of virtual community cannot be identified nor held responsible for their actions and words. Due to previous characteristics, the virtual communities are more anonymous than real. For example, I once added a friend on Facebook that I did not personally know. I thought I can make friends through this website. However, after sometime when we became really close I discovered that she is not who she claims to be. This incidence showed me that the virtual world cannot be trusted and is deceiving at a lot of times.

                                    The real physical community is not purely real and physical especially with the emergence of new technologies. I have many doubts if this type of reality still exists, since the technology and its constant innovations are present in our days, present in all the societies. In some peoples’ point of view, real community is not flexible, waste of time and limited to a number of people. However, the real community still has its advantages that the virtual community lakes. For example, in this community I can meet people face-to-face and talk to them through non-verbal communication means. For instance, in this community I can share my feeling with my friends which are impossible to be expressed in the virtual community. Also, I can talk about sensitive problems which often cannot be solved in the virtual community. Additionally, in the real community people can show their confidence, appearance and personality to the other people they meet. For instance, whenever I have a meeting with authoritarian people in my life, I can dress up well, talk with confidence and use verbal expressions. These aspects all come together to create a good image about me. Due to previous characteristics, virtual community is the realistic community that we can trust and build strong relationships through.