Community?

How do on-line communities compare to real communities?

Real communities are grounded and influenced by real actions or by the potential for real actions. People act in the common good because there is the potential for a positive outcome or the fear of a negative outcome.

Do internet communities compel their members to act in the collective good? I would suggest that they do only when they can satisfy the same conditions as a real community and when they can create an environment where potential for reward or fear of reprisal are real.

On-line communities that allow users to contribute anonymously are frequently disrupted by "community members" who simply choose not to act in the common interest because there is no potential for real reward and no credible threat of punishment.

Successful on-line communities create a link to the real world through account creation, membership fees, etc.

No matter how much we strive for virtual communities, those that can not create a strong link to the real world are doomed to fall prey to the unscrupulous, destructive instincts of some members of the community.