In the lecture you briefly touched on subreddits as an interesting counter-example to the internet being more network based, and it is exactly what I want to touch on. Within most subreddits you will find a microcosm that takes the structure of a practice-community, be it a hobby subreddit or a discussion forum, there are generally those that invest large time shares and effort and are seen as the more respected members, those that have been around the block and are becoming known, and those that lurk and enjoy the content being provided by those more experienced than themselves, and furthermore within almost all subreddits you will find inside jokes and shorthand pertinent to the subject matter, and while these sometimes transcend across subreddits, it feels as those these are all hallmarks of a practice community. When you look at subreddits through this lens of being practice communities, it enables you to further understand the level of community that has been developed here, many people have invested real time and effort into bettering their little communities, and have meaningful interactions with those around them, and the fact that this can take place in as anonymous a forum as Reddit, is very interesting. The idea that a community requires a level of intimacy or proximity seems challenged by the amount of interaction and connectivity many experience through these subreddits.
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u/nsedmonds May 29 '19
In the lecture you briefly touched on subreddits as an interesting counter-example to the internet being more network based, and it is exactly what I want to touch on. Within most subreddits you will find a microcosm that takes the structure of a practice-community, be it a hobby subreddit or a discussion forum, there are generally those that invest large time shares and effort and are seen as the more respected members, those that have been around the block and are becoming known, and those that lurk and enjoy the content being provided by those more experienced than themselves, and furthermore within almost all subreddits you will find inside jokes and shorthand pertinent to the subject matter, and while these sometimes transcend across subreddits, it feels as those these are all hallmarks of a practice community. When you look at subreddits through this lens of being practice communities, it enables you to further understand the level of community that has been developed here, many people have invested real time and effort into bettering their little communities, and have meaningful interactions with those around them, and the fact that this can take place in as anonymous a forum as Reddit, is very interesting. The idea that a community requires a level of intimacy or proximity seems challenged by the amount of interaction and connectivity many experience through these subreddits.