Research Essay

Running head : Online social networks

Online Social Networks : When Communities are Created through the Internet

Introduction

The mode of communication in the present day society had evolved from murals on the walls and smoke signals to the so-called information highway , the Internet . However , the potential for the Internet also experienced its own evolution when it came to its functionality . From being the source of any kind of information , the Internet had become an avenue for people from different walks of life to be connected with just one click of a

button (Giffords , 1998

This study would answered the following specific questions (1 ) what is the nature of online network communities (ONCs ) and in contrast to real life ' communities (2 ) what do the members of such communities get in return for participating in them (3 ) what are the considerations when it came to the limitations and strengths of the Internet

The objective of this is to expound on the evolution of social networks until the time ONCs were created . It would also aim to explain the satisfaction and benefits of such communities for its members . It would establish the main differences between virtual and real life community relationships . It would also test the strengths of the Internet in terms of community building and relationships

Considerations for Social Networks

Social networks referred to a network that connected people . While computer networks could be a set of machines that were connected by a set of cables , a social network was a set...