ABSTRACT
The sociolinguistic concept of ‘community’ has undergone profound changes since it was first introduced in the middle of the twentieth century. Originally conceived to describe groups of individuals and families with shared traditions and a long history of living and working closely together (think of a village or an urban neighbourhood), the concept has now expanded to include a variety of ways in which people can connect with each other: attachments which are often longdistance, transitory, mobile, multiple. As we shall see, developments in sociolinguistic ideas about community to some extent parallel perceived changes in the real world, given the quickening pace of globalisation, the shake-up of traditional structures and sources of authority, the greater possibility for mobility, and people’s increasing ability to use digital communications to establish networks beyond their immediate vicinity. If we look at how people come together through digital communications, we can make two observations. On the one hand, we can see virtual networks as an exemplification par excellence of the way in which sociolinguists now conceive of ‘community’ (as detailed below); on the other hand, virtual networks serve to further challenge and extend our understanding of the myriad ways in which people can construct relationships and feel connected.
