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15338: Re: [MUD-Dev] UO rants
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From: Brad Wyble <wyble@wjh.harvard.edu>
Newsgroups: nu.kanga.list.mud-dev
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 100 15:59:22 -0400 (EDT)
References: [1]
Organization: Kanga.Nu
[Dave Rickey wrote]
> I *really* hate that "virtual" in front of "community". It's *not* a
> second class community. It's not "not real". A community is simply a
> common illusion in the first place, you can have towns of 20,000 that are
> tight-knit communities and densely packed 200-unit apartment complexes that
> *aren't*. They have only an incidental connection with geography under any
> circumstances.
>
> If people act like they are members of a community, a community exists.
> Period. Focusing on how "virtual communities" differ from "real
> communities" keeps us from really seeing what they have in common, and that
> they are in fact, both equally real. Virtual vs. Real is a false dichotomy,
> in 20 years few will understand why anybody ever felt the need to
> differentiate "real life" and "online" relationships.
>
> --Dave Rickey
>
There are very real differences between face to face and "virtual
communities". People behave very differently in the two circumstances and
I think it is a mistake to ignore that difference through nomenclature.
I think the word "virtual" is a bad choice though, indicating an
artificial community of some kind. Would you be happy with "online
communities"?
-Brad Wyble
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