Interactive Sites

Interactive sites are really flourishing on the net and interestingly enough communities are growing out of these places on the web.

Many of the sites were rating sites. Sites like http://www.hotornot.com and http://www.facethejury.com involve rating people based on their attractiveness. At http://www.ageguess.com, one can guess at other people's ages from the submitted pictures (one's can also check one's accuracy which is automatically calculated). Other sites like http://www.cardomain.com and http://www.ratemyink.com/ allow users to rate other users' cars and body art, respectively. Some sites let users rate and review products, such as http://www.download.com and http://www.cnet.com. One can rate movies at http://www.imdb.com and post information about them as well. If you are a nerd and are interested in posting news, you can do so at http://www.slashdot.org, but remember that other users have the ability to post comments about your submitted articles. Sorry about the outcome of the election? Go to http://www.sorryeverybody.com and submit a photo of you and an apology letter written to the world. And http://www.secondlife.com allows you to become a part of a virtual world!

For many of the rating sites, a community focused on rating people, cars, or ageguessing arise. Communities of nerds, computer geeks, and technology enthusiast can buy, download, rate and discuss products and programs and news. Movie critics can come together to discuss movies. Non-Bush supporters can band together and show the world that they too are grieved by the election results. Second Life is perhaps the strangest of all the sites--an actual virtual community that exists on this site.

Depending on the site and community, you take on a certain identity by association. You begin to become a member of that community. Contribution also would seem to suggest to other users that you have a desire to be in a community with them. And the more you contribute, the more you assume the goals, rules, and aspirations of the whole. In more complex communities, one would begin to have a role or a specific place in the community, and one's identity in that community would take shape.

Although people often rate things or people, and discuss products, before the internet, such communities that were dedicated to these activities did not exist in a such a widespread and easy-to-access manner. Magazines have existed in which a small group of people, the contributors, write their opinions about thing 'x'. However, with the advent of the web, everyday people, not simply hired writers, can "publish" their opinions and have instant responses. This is also fosters discussion that probably only occurred at conventions or within a group of enthusiasts. And even then, usually only specific kinds of people attend conventions. The instantaneous and anonymous nature of the internet, coupled with its increasing ubiquity, allows for many different kinds of people with a common interest to come together and share that interest together. And as this becomes more commonplace, the stereotypes associated with these interest groups will also break down.

And finally, there's Second Life. This is essentially a virtual replication of a real-life community. Obviously such communities have existed since the beginning of humankind. The difference then comes with the anonymity of the internet. With that comes the ability to take on any identity you want. (Arguably, this is harder to do in real life.) And with the instantaneous nature of the web, changes can occur very quickly at Second Life. These two things greatly alter the "reality" one experiences on the screen from the reality lying outside one's bedroom door.