Does the internet add value to existing and/or emerging communities with regard to the quality of relationships between members
From Internet: Knowledge and Community
The Internet is a tool for communication. How a tool is used, and if it is the right tool for the job defines the success or failure of that particular tool. I'm not a big Facebook or My Space poster, but I do interact through some of the online forums. This does make me more aware of events that are happening out in the community. (Putnam) I think is closer to the mark in describing TV as the reason for the decline in civic participation within communities. What he does not discuss is the Internet's role. I believe that the Internet is bringing back civic participation in communities. I think it is still too early in the life cycle of social networking and Web 2.0 to gather concrete data, but it would be interesting to compare types of social networking i.e. personal, civic, hobby, club, political etc.. with the old baseline of hours spent watching TV. I think as a society we have already broken out of the TV mold (we just don't know it yet) and that digital civic community participation will become quite common. We don't all need to meet down at the local Elks Club to participate in charity fundrasing, it can be done digitally. On the flip side, meeting and scheduling meetings is becoming easier with technology thus I believe society will be more engaged as we pass through the age of the TV to the age digital connectivity for everyone
