aven
fragment c: aven is a virtual ____?
Hailing AVEN outwardly, I made the general assumption that it
certainly fit the term "virtual refuge" as it was defined in this
document. After closer inspection, however, I feel differently. It
seems as if the people who make use of it understand it as a resource
more so than a community. Hardly any respondents considered
anyone in the forums a friend. It's as if AVEN exists for
a purpose and that purpose is fulfilled. If people would
simply come and go, I'd say AVEN was indeed a commodity, but because
it serves as a gathering point and fulfills a need for those who
choose to stick around, I believe it is indeed worthy of the term "virtual
community".
What I've gathered from AVEN is fairly simple: what makes a community
is not determined by its structure, but more so how people interact
within it. |
