- 07 Oct 12, 19:58#325333
This might actually be on topic 
I was thinking about the nature, and general concept and "way" of online communities, like this one. The way, some forums don't have names or avatars, so it is just random posting, but on here we start to form a more full picture of persons, their general opinions. And how it turns into something resembling a community, jokes etc. are somewhat funny, but there are in-jokes, running jokes and the like. Knowing a person more gives you more avenues to explore, so you can bring up other stuff into it, when talking to them from a previous conversation, or know what social conventions to apply, based on their nationality etc. I guess, it is interesting sociologically, looking at how people start to come together, and affilate with each other, you can't really do that in real life, but here, because of the "slow" and written nature, I think it is possible. When people start to care or identify with group values somewhat, so the general social norms and values are replaced with specific ones to the group.
Anyway, I was wondering if this can be put in the context of globalisation, and the standardising or mixing of national and cultural values, as being the internet, you have people from all over the world on here.
I was going to write a better version of that, tomorrow, but some people were inpatient. It's not really that coherent, but hopefully I have enough there to start a discussion, although maybe not a defined debate.

I was thinking about the nature, and general concept and "way" of online communities, like this one. The way, some forums don't have names or avatars, so it is just random posting, but on here we start to form a more full picture of persons, their general opinions. And how it turns into something resembling a community, jokes etc. are somewhat funny, but there are in-jokes, running jokes and the like. Knowing a person more gives you more avenues to explore, so you can bring up other stuff into it, when talking to them from a previous conversation, or know what social conventions to apply, based on their nationality etc. I guess, it is interesting sociologically, looking at how people start to come together, and affilate with each other, you can't really do that in real life, but here, because of the "slow" and written nature, I think it is possible. When people start to care or identify with group values somewhat, so the general social norms and values are replaced with specific ones to the group.
Anyway, I was wondering if this can be put in the context of globalisation, and the standardising or mixing of national and cultural values, as being the internet, you have people from all over the world on here.
I was going to write a better version of that, tomorrow, but some people were inpatient. It's not really that coherent, but hopefully I have enough there to start a discussion, although maybe not a defined debate.