A community is a group of like-minded people. You are probably part of several different communities – the town/village where you live, the place where you work or study, a group of friends with whom you play sport or other hobby activity, and your church fellowship.
A community of people usually has most of these characteristics:
A community of people usually has most of these characteristics:
- shared interests
- shared values
- shared problems/enemies
- mutually supportive
- intimacy
- physical face-to-face interaction at specific times
A successful online fans club, more or less, is the same as a real community, and sometimes the groupness and conformity of it is even more noticeable than you expect. Maybe one of the reason help create the group’s conformity is that time and location are no longer relevant and you can share as much or little of yourself as you wish, without being judged.
Actually, online fans club which permits visitors to contribute content is potentially building community and a high level of trust. The more or meaningful content you contribute, the more scores you obtain for getting permits to view or download bonus pictures or videos from the authorized administrators. That helps encourage you to get sticky to the community.
To have a sense of community, a website needs to be welcoming and non-condemning. It must meet people where they are, and demonstrate an understanding of their feelings and problems. They must feel that they somehow 'belong' to the site, and can also offer their own feedback and opinions as well as receive advice.
By the way, it is discovered that some psychology and sociology theories can be applied in online fans club’s community, but some cannot.
Hyperpersonality theory
Chen and Gaines (1998) argued that developing a positive self-image is one motivation for participating in reciprocal Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) relationships because it allows you to publicize your expertise, position yourself in the virtual community. It is quite true that online fans club participants always contribute content towards their idols when they come across their idols’ news. It seems that they are the experts in this particular field. They are willing to share that may help them to enhance their self-identity and image.
Cues-filtered-out theory
Cues-filtered-out theory assumes that CMC relationships lack social or context cues. It may easily lead to antisocial or impersonal behaviors and increase in uninhibited behavior patterns such as flaming in online interactions. However, the above-mentioned situations are not noticeable in online fans club. Maybe they have already built up the sense of belonging to the community that few of them want to ruin the orders. Or the system management team is efficient enough to delete any unwanted messages posted when found.
Social Exchange theory
Social Exchange theory in CMC means that people contribute content because they want to receive a benefit (get something to exchange). Actually, the benefit is not necessary a real object. The reciprocal rewards can be some feedback messages that show people’s appreciation, praise or respect the content contributors. These interactions then make message posted cycle continue.
Para-social Interaction/relationship (PSI) theory
Horton & Wohl (1956) implicated agreement between the performer and viewer that they will pretend the relationship is not mediated – as though it were a face-to-face encounter, just like a media friend. However, the situation is not noticeable in online fans club because, unlike TV, there is not a role player or actor in online fans club. But the active participant will show their sorrows after the recovery of the online fan club’s server down. The situation is just like a person who meets his buddy whom he doesn’t meet each other for a long time.
Social Identification/Deindividuation (SIDE) theory
Postmes, Spears, and Lea (1998, 2000) stated that online participants will assume that other people are similar to themselves and that they share comparable norms and characteristics. SIDE theory seems more applicable to online fans club. Basically, online fans club participants have similar norms (they have the same idols). When communicators share a common social identity, they appear to be more susceptible to group influence, social attraction, stereotyping, gender typing, and discrimination in anonymous CMC.
All in all, Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) has already developed maturely. A large population of people is familiar with CMC. The phenomena of groupness, conformity and polarization are not infrequent in online fans club. In fact, the successful one has formed the sense of belonging to the virtual community, just like a community in the real society.
Actually, online fans club which permits visitors to contribute content is potentially building community and a high level of trust. The more or meaningful content you contribute, the more scores you obtain for getting permits to view or download bonus pictures or videos from the authorized administrators. That helps encourage you to get sticky to the community.
To have a sense of community, a website needs to be welcoming and non-condemning. It must meet people where they are, and demonstrate an understanding of their feelings and problems. They must feel that they somehow 'belong' to the site, and can also offer their own feedback and opinions as well as receive advice.
By the way, it is discovered that some psychology and sociology theories can be applied in online fans club’s community, but some cannot.
Hyperpersonality theory
Chen and Gaines (1998) argued that developing a positive self-image is one motivation for participating in reciprocal Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) relationships because it allows you to publicize your expertise, position yourself in the virtual community. It is quite true that online fans club participants always contribute content towards their idols when they come across their idols’ news. It seems that they are the experts in this particular field. They are willing to share that may help them to enhance their self-identity and image.
Cues-filtered-out theory
Cues-filtered-out theory assumes that CMC relationships lack social or context cues. It may easily lead to antisocial or impersonal behaviors and increase in uninhibited behavior patterns such as flaming in online interactions. However, the above-mentioned situations are not noticeable in online fans club. Maybe they have already built up the sense of belonging to the community that few of them want to ruin the orders. Or the system management team is efficient enough to delete any unwanted messages posted when found.
Social Exchange theory
Social Exchange theory in CMC means that people contribute content because they want to receive a benefit (get something to exchange). Actually, the benefit is not necessary a real object. The reciprocal rewards can be some feedback messages that show people’s appreciation, praise or respect the content contributors. These interactions then make message posted cycle continue.
Para-social Interaction/relationship (PSI) theory
Horton & Wohl (1956) implicated agreement between the performer and viewer that they will pretend the relationship is not mediated – as though it were a face-to-face encounter, just like a media friend. However, the situation is not noticeable in online fans club because, unlike TV, there is not a role player or actor in online fans club. But the active participant will show their sorrows after the recovery of the online fan club’s server down. The situation is just like a person who meets his buddy whom he doesn’t meet each other for a long time.
Social Identification/Deindividuation (SIDE) theory
Postmes, Spears, and Lea (1998, 2000) stated that online participants will assume that other people are similar to themselves and that they share comparable norms and characteristics. SIDE theory seems more applicable to online fans club. Basically, online fans club participants have similar norms (they have the same idols). When communicators share a common social identity, they appear to be more susceptible to group influence, social attraction, stereotyping, gender typing, and discrimination in anonymous CMC.
All in all, Computer-mediated Communication (CMC) has already developed maturely. A large population of people is familiar with CMC. The phenomena of groupness, conformity and polarization are not infrequent in online fans club. In fact, the successful one has formed the sense of belonging to the virtual community, just like a community in the real society.
Text: Lee Wing Fai, HKMediaEd.net
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