Comments on: The Validity of Virtual Community http://www.benreed.net/index.php/2009/07/23/the-validity-of-virtual-community/ Thoughts on how I see the world Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:25:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: benlreed http://www.benreed.net/index.php/2009/07/23/the-validity-of-virtual-community/comment-page-1/#comment-290 benlreed Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:22:18 +0000 http://lifeandtheology.wordpress.com/?p=593#comment-290 Garrett, Good point about the need for face-to-face contact. I think of Paul, longing to be with the Romans (Romans 1:10), the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18), and Timothy (2 Timothy 1:4). It would be better if he could have communicated this letter to them face-to-face, but he was hindered for one reason or another. Yet he didn't neglect the written word. The written word still encouraged, corrected, and maintained the relationship. What do you think...what is it that you lose? How is community hampered, or held back, by these tools? What is that "something" that is lost through these mediums? Garrett,
Good point about the need for face-to-face contact. I think of Paul, longing to be with the Romans (Romans 1:10), the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 2:17-18), and Timothy (2 Timothy 1:4). It would be better if he could have communicated this letter to them face-to-face, but he was hindered for one reason or another. Yet he didn’t neglect the written word. The written word still encouraged, corrected, and maintained the relationship.
What do you think…what is it that you lose? How is community hampered, or held back, by these tools? What is that “something” that is lost through these mediums?

]]> By: Garrett Wishall http://www.benreed.net/index.php/2009/07/23/the-validity-of-virtual-community/comment-page-1/#comment-289 Garrett Wishall Thu, 23 Jul 2009 18:11:15 +0000 http://lifeandtheology.wordpress.com/?p=593#comment-289 Ben, Helpful post, thanks for sharing! I don't think what you are describing is virtual community. I don't think there is any such thing as virtual community. I think what you are describing is real community experienced through the use of the tools known as Twitter and Tokbox. In the same way that a house or coffee shop can be a tool, Twitter and Tokbox are your tools. You are experiencing human community via the tool of being online. And regardless of the forum for community, you lose something if it is not face-to-face. Whether that is a cell phone call, letter, email, Twitter or Tokbox, you lose something. (Tokbox, Skype, etc. are better than a cell phone call, I think. Even with those, though, you lose something). Ben,

Helpful post, thanks for sharing!

I don’t think what you are describing is virtual community. I don’t think there is any such thing as virtual community. I think what you are describing is real community experienced through the use of the tools known as Twitter and Tokbox.

In the same way that a house or coffee shop can be a tool, Twitter and Tokbox are your tools. You are experiencing human community via the tool of being online.

And regardless of the forum for community, you lose something if it is not face-to-face. Whether that is a cell phone call, letter, email, Twitter or Tokbox, you lose something. (Tokbox, Skype, etc. are better than a cell phone call, I think. Even with those, though, you lose something).

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