Re: Building Community in a Digital Age
DebbieG
debbie@reddogs.com
Sun Oct  4 11:58:32 1998
Deb,*p*We're in definite agreement there. In many cases, I've made friends online that I'd've never met otherwise... not just due to geographical reasons but because (for instance) one is deaf and didn't venture out much. Now that she knows a whole group of us from online, and knows we'll remember to face her when speaking <g>, she meets us at dog shows, goes camping, and all manner of other things. She says that communicating online has helped her learn to communicate in general and she's certainly been a great addition to our online community in Dogs Forum.*p*I've met some of the jerks, too, but I've been lucky... by and large, the wonderful people have _far_ outnumbered the poor lost souls hiding from life by creating a personna for themselves.*p*One of the beauties of "community," whether online or face-to-face, is that it creates an atmosphere in which all the members are supported and in which all are allowed (encouraged) to contribute. In the best of all worlds, this allows individuals to grow and explore while benefitting from the experience of the rest of the community. This is where Summerlands has an opportunity to excel... many of us are on similar-but-different paths and the feel of "community" provides an opportunity to learn from others about their paths in an open environment.*p*Debbie G.*br*
Re: Building Community in a Digital Age
Deborah
135
Tue Sep 29 15:37:05 1998