TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 History Becoming One of Us 4 CHAPTER 2 Geography Friends without Borders 10 CHAPTER 3 Civics To Censor or Not to Censor 18 CHAPTER 4 Economics An Online Presence 24 THINK ABOUT IT 30 FOR MORE INFORMATION 31 GLOSSARY 32 INDEX 32
CHAPTER 1 History Becoming One of Us Have you ever had an important question but could not figure out the right person to ask Have you wanted to share your passion for pugs Korean pop origami fantasy sports or a million other topics with someone who totally gets it Imagine reaching out to thousands of people who can help with these needs You can do just that by exploring the almost infinite number of community sites also known as virtual communities available online Community sites are places in which a group of individuals share and pursue common goals feelings and ideas through their interactions 4 21st century skills library
Before the internet building a close-knit community was based on distance Many of these websites are anonymous Unlike Facebook for example your comments and discussions are not connected to you and your profile unless you make it known This means you can discuss whatever you want without worrying what your friends or family will think You can chat with people who may get you but do not necessarily live in your city or even your country 5 COMMUNITY WEBSITES
