Do we meet people online?

The question was raised again today. It's a poignant question and one that is inevitably open to varying interpretations.

My view is that we form the most important relationships and conduct the most valid meetings away from the confines of our computers, outside in the real world. I think that despite the influence of social networking sites on our generation (that is my peers and I) the majority of us still conduct our communication through more conventional means.

Facebook, MySpace and IM are all meeting places just like a lecture theatre, nightclub or trade fair. However in online meeting places we can't exercise complete control over what is said, viewed and shared.

There are no assurances that the people we meet online, but have never had a physical meeting with will be completely transparent and honest about who they are. We are bound to encounter uncertainties in physical relationships regardless of whether they are new ones or those we have maintained for a long period of time.

Therefore I think it is fair to say that we can meet people online whether they are friends, family or people we are talking to for the first time.

I read a really intriguing article on the Guardian website that comments on the need for the fame generation to learn the value of privacy. It speaks of a new exhibitionism, a desire to constantly broadcast who we are. It's a trait that is characteristically unique to a demographic under the age of 30. There is no distinction between our public and private self, they have become interdependent. http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/story/0,,2208777,00.html

The groups presented their wikis on the overhead projector. I felt quite nervous as we didn't really have anything to show, however we have legitimate ideas the only thing we need to do now is execute them.

Bella raised a valid point, and a question I think was on everyones mind,when she enquired what the required length of our wiki should be. We are accustomed to working within the parameters of a word count, so its strange when we don't have one as a guideline.

As a group we have finalised the structure and content for our wiki. We are going to use a series of case studies to illustrate our findings on virtual communities.

Focusing on MySpace and Queeruption, a new voice in cyberspace, both are online communities but with very different aims and participants. And finally we'll discuss the use of the gift economy within these communities.