Distributed communities and nodal subjects
- 1 February 2006
- journal article
- research article
- Published by SAGE Publications in New Media & Society
- Vol. 8 (1), 33-51
- https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444806059867
Abstract
Drawing upon cognitive science and systems theory, this article examines a number of issues commonly undertaken in theorizing ‘online communities.’ The thesis is that current approaches to online community that focus on specific online ‘places,’ such as LamdaMOO, may overlook the actual practices engaged in by current internet users, which focus on ad-hoc interactions with a distributed community. Systems theory, as developed by Vilem Flusser, Humberto Maturana and Francisco Varela, is used to examine the relationship between communication and community. Through this examination a definition of community as a distributed communications systems, in which individuals function as nodes in the overall system, is developed. The conclusion considers the significance of this definition for the evaluation of the internet as a tool for political action and self-realization.Keywords
This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Virtual(ly) Law: The Emergence of Law in LambdaMOO: MnookinJournal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2006