ABSTRACT
The stories of community we tell illustrate one of the tensions inherent in the very notion of community. Bonding in community is stimulated and reinforced by traits that are commonly shared and that therefore distinguish members of that community from others who do not share those traits. John McCain's campaign did make a relatively large investment in the Internet, and it did pay off. Future campaigns could take note of his success, particularly as a way to get an early head start in a campaign. For obvious reasons, the electoral ends of the large political institutions' use of the Internet are readily apparent in their online activities. In almost every campaign e-mail sent, for example, someone wants citizens' money, their time and effort, and their vote. In a similar vein, the media institutions want advertising dollars, and to generate those dollars, they need citizens to stay locked on their site.
