From text to virtuality
Online communities today segment into
- (A) “social participators” and “chattering classes” (literate, vocal, engaged, switched on, participative - text-oriented)
OR
- (B) MUDD-warriors, porn-swappers etc (image-oriented)
Part of the appeal for (A) group is the relative exclusivity of today’s text based online forums
Part of the barrier to wider use is the need for literacy skills and for (albeit very modest) IT skills
Another barrier is availability: ideal tool is desk based PC with fast Internet access