ABSTRACT
The expansion of the Internet has resulted in an increase in the usefulness of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and the popularity of online communities. One in four Internet users has participated in chat rooms or online discussion. Just on the social network site Facebook, there are around 350 million users, and 50% of these users log in everyday. The chapter deals with defining online communities and CMC and by discussing their main pros and cons. This is followed by a review of the different types of CMC, while the evolution of game-based and wiki communities are described in more depth. These two relatively new areas of online sociability create new opportunities and challenges in the way people work, learn, and play online. One of the most important characteristics of the medium is the opportunities it offers for human–human communication through computer networks. As B. Metcalfe points out, communication is the Internet’s most important asset.
