[Sam]antics: Spotlight on Community

by Sam on June 10, 2009

[Comm][unity]: It’s no accident that the root of common, and the word unity make up this word. Communities can come in many forms, and can signify different things for different people. But almost always, a community is a group of people who have something in common, and they are united by whatever it is they share.

For me, community is, and always has been, a very important part of my life. I have been fortunate to be part of a number of different communities, many of them centered around my religion. The community at my temple in Massachusetts watched me grow up.  They witnessed several major milestones in my life, and at times it felt like more of a giant extended family. One of the most powerful experiences I’ve ever had is praying with the Eisner Camp community on Friday nights and Saturday mornings, with the beautiful Berkshire Mountains as a back drop. 

The concept of community is one of the many things that has changed because of the Internet. Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace are at their core, online communities, and allow users the opportunity to form their own circles within the larger group. Networks like Brazen Careerist and 20 something bloggers take it a step further. By catering to one specific generation or age group, users know that they already have at least one thing in common with the other people on these sites.  

However, creating a community on Twitter is kind of like making your own sundae. There are plenty of options, different things you can add, and it’s up to you to choose the ones that will work well together, and be most enjoyable. It’s also a case of you get what you give. If you want to get a lot out of Twitter, you have to be willing to put a lot in. A number of bloggers have addressed the idea of Twitter community from a variety of different angles: building a strong foundation, the psychology behind the act of following, re-evaluating your Twitter philosophy, and that’s just a small sample.

Personally, I am very grateful for the online communities that I have become part of and formed. The connections I have made through these platforms are truly priceless, and I am constantly in awe of the power of social media to bring people together. That said, my online communities are certainly not the same as the communities I mentioned earlier.  I’ve never met most of the members of my online community, and some I never will. There are a select few who I have made a special connection with, and we’ve made the effort to talk one-on-one, often through Skype so we can actually see what the other one looks like. The members of my online communities are supportive, insightful, and intelligent, but our bond is different than if we had met under other circumstances. 

What does community mean to you? What are the things that make a community special? Has the Internet changed the concept of community? If you’re a part of online communities, how are they different? What do you like/dislike about them?

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Tagged as: bloggers, Internet, Social Media

  • Susan: It's funny because I wrote this post in stages, and it wasn't until I had already started that I read your post. I think you're right, maybe we do cherish the relationships we form online because we're so in awe of how they formed, and how they could have just as easily not existed. True, there are negative aspects, just like with everything, but if we know that going in, then we can try our best to avoid the bad seeds. Surrounding ourselves with good people is exactly what we need to do. Thanks so much for your comments! I always enjoy reading what you have to say!
  • Grace: you describe community so well! I'm glad you have such positive feelings towards the word. "Asking how they are and caring to hear the answer," is a sign of a genuine true connection between people. It's interesting that you mention togetherness as an aspect of community. In our online communities, I guess we experience that in non-literal terms. Thanks for your insight!
  • Sam,

    This may be my favorite installment of [Sam]antics to date. I've never been more enamored with the idea of community than I am right now for the simple fact that I'd never related so well to such a diverse group of people -- in both interests and locale. You have your local communities, you have schools and a circle of friends and writing groups or book clubs, but there's something that feels different about these online communities. It feels somehow richer, deeper. As if you cherish the relationships you form because maybe you realize they never would have otherwise been possible. In that respect, it feels stronger.

    There are certainly negative aspects to online communities -- the idea of anonymity (though in this day and age, anonymous never really is anonymous), the idea that we don't share all of ourselves, but we do show the best part of ourselves (I'm thinking back to Carlos' great Super Media post), the idea that there are people who would rather do harm than good.

    But, like you say, it's what you make of it, it's the people with whom you choose to interact that make all of the difference. Surround yourself with good people and your community will be worthwhile, instructive, insightful, and good. I like what Grace says in her comment -- these are people who ask you how you are and are genuinely interested, who show support when you're down and take pride in your successes. What it comes down to is, in the best communities, these people become friends.

    Awesome post, Sam, on a subject that is so dear to me as well. Thanks! :)
  • Susan: It's funny because I wrote this post in stages, and it wasn't until I had already started that I read your post. I think you're right, maybe we do cherish the relationships we form online because we're so in awe of how they formed, and how they could have just as easily not existed. True, there are negative aspects, just like with everything, but if we know that going in, then we can try our best to avoid the bad seeds. Surrounding ourselves with good people is exactly what we need to do. Thanks so much for your comments! I always enjoy reading what you have to say!
  • Sam,

    This may be my favorite installment of [Sam]antics to date. I've never been more enamored with the idea of community than I am right now for the simple fact that I'd never related so well to such a diverse group of people -- in both interests and locale. You have your local communities, you have schools and a circle of friends and writing groups or book clubs, but there's something that feels different about these online communities. It feels somehow richer, deeper. As if you cherish the relationships you form because maybe you realize they never would have otherwise been possible. In that respect, it feels stronger.

    There are certainly negative aspects to online communities -- the idea of anonymity (though in this day and age, anonymous never really is anonymous), the idea that we don't share all of ourselves, but we do show the best part of ourselves (I'm thinking back to Carlos' great Super Media post), the idea that there are people who would rather do harm than good.

    But, like you say, it's what you make of it, it's the people with whom you choose to interact that make all of the difference. Surround yourself with good people and your community will be worthwhile, instructive, insightful, and good. I like what Grace says in her comment -- these are people who ask you how you are and are genuinely interested, who show support when you're down and take pride in your successes. What it comes down to is, in the best communities, these people become friends.

    Awesome post, Sam, on a subject that is so dear to me as well. Thanks! :)
  • Community, mmmm I think it's one of my favorite words. I love how it unites "common" and "unity."

    To me, community invokes a feeling of warmth and support. I think of people knowing each others names, asking how they are and caring to hear the answer. Community can be online (like you say) or offline, as in a small town or a group that gets together and knits every Sunday. Whatever it may be, it means that there is a sense of belonging and togetherness.

    Thanks for sharing. Community is such a pertinent topic :)
  • Grace: you describe community so well! I'm glad you have such positive feelings towards the word. "Asking how they are and caring to hear the answer," is a sign of a genuine true connection between people. It's interesting that you mention togetherness as an aspect of community. In our online communities, I guess we experience that in non-literal terms. Thanks for your insight!
  • Community, mmmm I think it's one of my favorite words. I love how it unites "common" and "unity."

    To me, community invokes a feeling of warmth and support. I think of people knowing each others names, asking how they are and caring to hear the answer. Community can be online (like you say) or offline, as in a small town or a group that gets together and knits every Sunday. Whatever it may be, it means that there is a sense of belonging and togetherness.

    Thanks for sharing. Community is such a pertinent topic :)
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