Building The Community

I’ve talked about building a community for several months now. It’s part of my grand scheme to rule the universe…not really. But it sounds kind of fun and if Dr. Evil can try it then so can I!

I wonder some times if generations before me have felt what I feel right now. I feel things are changing on so many levels and at a speed which is so hard to keep up with at times. The environment, politics, the economy, culture…and now the internet.

Remember when the internet was birthed by Al Gore? Remember when email came about? Text messaging? Websites? Blogs? Remember when alluser groups were cool and you could create an online forum or message board? Wow…those were cool, Beave.

It’s a small world after all. Why? The internet, cell phone technology, and innovations that make your head spin…I think that disney guy was on to something with that one song. My mother loves that ride by the way. We all road it with her last summer at disney world.

As the internet changes and people become more online, there comes with it ways to exist and evolve online. Mostly this is virtual, not real at times, but none the less…it’s a reality and it’s here. With all of this is the desire to build and exist within a community with those who are like minded about exploring culture using none other than…the internet. Enter the Web 2.0 world.

Yes…it’s a virtual world, but the real part of it exists within those people you interact with online that are real in your life. Otherwise…it’s pretty voyeuristic at times. It’s not bad or of the devil. Just different.

What’s the point? Community. I feel like we are in a generation of people who want to be in community with each other. Whether that community sits in a coffee shop or at a local hang or sits on twitter walking through the day 140 characters at a time. It’s about community.

The world we live in is moving to a consumer to consumer based world where trust and transparency are sought out because those opinions might help when I need an answer to a question about life. Or…what CD I should buy next.

I love it when people are moved to action because they follow someone online, like over at flowerdust.net or that I can follow another friends trip in China because he is loading pictures of the trip daily.

I love that I can reach out to an online community and learn from others like on Watercooler Wednesday. We my friends are in community…it’s time to continue to build it.