ABSTRACT
Much of the current research on the role of technology and community is focused on online communities-people who are linked through computer networks in order to pursue common goals, including those of entertainment and friendship. This chapter, however, considers the term “community,” in its traditional sense, as persons who live and cooperate in a local area with shared goals and interests. Using a study of two sports clubs in the West of Ireland, I here look at the way in which electronically mediated communication (EMC) can be used to maintain the links between club members as individuals and, within them, as a group. In particular, the use of the mobile phone to send short message service (SMS) text messages helps to organize activities in a way that draws members closer, strengthening the effectiveness of the group as a whole and promoting social capital.
