Is the “virtual community” (Rheingold, 1993) a useful way of understanding contemporary online life? Discuss using one example of an online community OR a video game world (Virtual community is not to be confused with a “social network” site).
I am aiming at looking at the first successful virtual communities available on the web. I want to focus on MIRC, a chat room program created by Windows. MIRC was the first virtual community i was ever introduced to. All i know so far is that it was created in 1995. I want to know what happened to it and how it contributed to the success of contemporary online life.
I want to know how social networks that include virtual communities –such as 'facebook chat'– have effected MIRC and other primarily virtual communities. I will research the history behind MIRC, its contribution to the social web and how the idea of MIRC has been readapted to many other forms of social networks and virtual communities.
To begin researching this I have started researching the background of Khaled Mardam-Bey– the creator and developer of MIRC. Also the meaning of MIRC– why is it called that? what influenced Windows to create a chat program?. I will then research other chat rooms that were released between 1995 and 2010 and compare them. I will also compare stats and ratings and how they grow over the years. MIRC has reached their 150million download mark, i need to compare this to other virtual communities.
I do believe MIRC is a useful way of understanding contemporary online life. I need to research reasons why i believe this to back up my statements.
References for myself
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