ABSTRACT
A Community of Interest (COI) is a virtual meeting place (website) where people share a common interest (e.g., a hobby). Members randomly share lessons pertaining to general topics. Participation in a COI is usually free (or low cost) and informal and can be entertaining. It proposes to create a feeling of belonging and friendship. ere are few rules or protocols that govern a COI. However, it is expected that members will use appropriate language and respect diversity of thought, culture, and walks of life. Examples of web-based COIs are Myspace (created in 2003), Facebook (introduced in 2004), and YouTube (launched in 2005).
