Tutorial Six: The internet and online communities

Now let's have a look at online communities. These are websites where people can interact with each other through dicussions and forums. There are so many different online communities that cover a variety of topics depending on a person's interests. There are support groups and interest groups and groups to help people share and increase their knowledge about that topic. The sites that I have chosen to look at are interest communities related to horses. Now this may seem totally unrelated to Occupational Therapy but horse riding or horse care  is something that quite a few people would consider a meaningful occupation and as occupational therapists we look at meaningful occupations that people undertake. I personally love nothing better than riding a horse or caring for one and have found it amazing that you can talk to people all around the world about horses.

The three communities that I have chosen are:

• The Monty Roberts YouTube channel - view site here
• The And Horse site - view here
• The MyHorse.com Facebook page - view here

MyHorse.com Facebook Page

The MyHorse.com Facebook page allows members of Facebook able to view their page if the join up by clicking the 'Like' button.  The purpose of this allows people to post photos, videos and information about their horses. They are also able to start discussions or forums to discuss any problems or share information about their horses. For example here is a recent discussion from the page.
This site is fairly interactive as anyone who is part of the group can post up information, photos, videos and start discussions.

AndHorses.com Website

The AndHorses.com website is a site that was created for people who love horses. Our aim is to provide a professional social network for those who wish to share their thoughts, photos, videos etc. to other people from around the world who share the same interests. AndHorses.com is for and from people who love horses. People can interact through the site by sharing their thoughts, photos, videos and opinions with others. There are a variety discussions running on the site that moment, here is an example:

0 Replies		How to improve? Category: Ideas and Suggestions | Topic started 1 week, 4 days ago  by andhorse	88 Views	Last Post by andhorse 1 week, 4 days ago
0 Replies		HERDA IN HORSES ! Category: Horse Health | Topic started 2 weeks, 1 day ago  by COPPER	68 Views	Last Post by COPPER 2 weeks, 1 day ago
1 Replies		Spring Break Bar 50 Ranch Bismark, Arkansas Category: Trail Riding | Topic started 1 month, 1 week ago  by TRider58	181 Views	Last Post by COPPER 2 weeks, 1 day ago

The Monty Roberts YouTube Channel

The intended purpose of this site allows people to watch videos of Monty Roberts, teaching a number of different problems horses have and how they can be fixed with his methods.  The site is pretty interactive as people can comment on the videos but they are unable to post videos up themselves.

Here is video of Monty doing Join - Up with a horse.

People choose to be involved in these sites because they are interested in the topics being discussed and want to interact with other people who are also interested. They can gain a sense of community and connection with other members. The information is reciprocal in that all different people can contribute and give and receive information. People can ask questions and they will receive an answer. Alternatively they can choose to answer a question asked by someone else.  By contributing and feeling they are adding value to the discussion participants can experience and increased sense of self efficacy (Kollock & Smith, 1999).

Ethical Issues

There are several ethical issues that are relevant to online communities. One of these is lack of accountability or responsibility that a person has when they are online. People who post on an online community are not known by the other participants. There is a level of anonymity as people use fake names or nicknames which decreases one's inhibitions. People will say things online that they might not say in person for fear of persecution from others. Another issue is the use of intellectual property. Since forums are open once something is put on there it can be copied and copied and copied again until it is impossible to tell whose intellectual property it is.

Benefits of an Online Community

• Connects people in different geographical locations who might not otherwise meet.
• Ability to observe interactions before engaging.
• Enables in depth discussions.
• Allows anonymity for people

Benefits of a Traditional Community

• Developing broader relationships that aren't centered around the one topic.
• The opportunity to socialise with others
• The ability to have face to face talks and meetings

References
Kollock, P. & Smith, M. (1999). Communities in cyberspace. In M. A. Smith & P Kollock (eds.).  Communities in cyberspace London: Routledge