Internets Potential in Establishing and Building Communities - Research Paper Example

? Internet’s Potential in Establishing and Building Communities Introduction Ancient world widely differs from the current world in a number of ways. The modes of life that existed in gone days show a noticeable difference when compared with current life aspects. Advancements made in the technological world have contributed to most of the changes that exist in almost all fields of human engagements. For instance, the information and communication technology (ICT) largely impacts on a community’s way of life through the interaction and development of individuals, government and civil society, and businesses. These technological advancements led to the introduction of the internet, which most sectors have been put in use in their operations. The essay that follows is a research on the potential of the internet for building and establishing communities with reference to specific online groups. The internet is a communication medium that people use in their daily life activities due to its viability. The idea of its use has a long history line where people in the past years used to communicate to others, but discoveries and advancements in communication technology by visionary people brought changes in its current usage in the present society. These discoveries aimed at creating a new communication where people would effectively communicate with others, putting in mind how proper use of the internet can impact the community (Riel, 2013). Most of online programs rely on the internet for their operation, a quality which has made its use rampant in the various activities. The internet and Social Networks The internet contributes in a large percentage the way social media operate, since operation of online groups like blogs, online chats, YouTube, multiplayer online games, Facebook, twitter, video conferencing, among others relies on the internet (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). The high rate of globalization in the world is as a result of the rise of internet usage. This is because the internet breaks the limit made on human interactions since there are no political borders among the users. There are a number of websites that people different countries use to enhance communication among their citizens. For example, an individual with Chinese origin or descent can visit China.com and communicate with other citizens who share the same characteristics (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). Citizens from Filipino can communicate with other Filipino citizens across the world by visiting Tinig.com and share issues concerning their country. Tsinoy.com connects Filipinos who have a Chinese accent, while Scottish accent people meet at ElectricScotland.com. These among other sites make people share various issues affecting their communities as they contribute to their development. Yahoo has a large number of sites that bring together different cultures. Participants in these sites engage in chats with each other, which provide a medium for discussions and organization of events geared towards community development (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). Through these sites people too can access newspapers and also listen to their local radio stations daily, and this maintains ties between people in the diaspora with their families and homeland. However, the ability of the internet to impact on people depends on the ‘end-to-end design (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). It is designed in a way that its impact relies on the end users. The web effectively utilizes this design in that every user participates in providing the content of the web even with little knowledge or capital equipment (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). This enables the users not only to use a website, but also have the ability to create it, giving it a democratic feature. The internet creates a wide accessibility of information on a website as opposed to a newspaper or magazine, and this gives those who lack enough access on resources to communicate with other people in a different community. Through the potential the internet has, the web helps in creating a democratic society where people can create their own website and share issues concerning them. This gives even the marginalized communities the freedom to create a community governed by principles that best suit them where everyone has the power to participate in the making of the community (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). Globalization of people over social media gives access to the diverse groups of people in the world because there is no border limit (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). This breaks the geographical limit of only socializing with the immediate physical neighbors. The internet thus makes people free from these physical constraints and breaks the differences between a community and the other. Social networks like Facebook and MySpace, among others provide groups all to communicate with their members in other countries around the world and also in different parts of the country. Cyberspace gives people the sense of a common membership in the world and increases respect for all humanity. Social networks help people create a community that can advocate for fair and democratic governance in a country because it creates a community with different principles, but the common ability of accommodating the other (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). The internet and Community Development Internet use plays a major role in the development of a community. A community that has access to internet services is in a better position of being informed as opposed to one that lacks. This is because access of information from rural radio stations enhances information and communication to the rural people. According to Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Document Repository, use of the internet by local radio stations to source information on current market prices can help farmers negotiate prices with their local buyers (FAO, 2013). Availability of information can help rural people improve the quality of decisions they make in life and enhance their participation in development practices. This shows the potential that the internet has in building a community. Access to information contributes a lot to development activities in a community. Studies show that people using websites to access information find it providing access of information without geographical border barriers. The internet has a wide impact on community development since people accessing information from it find new ideas on life aspects, through discussions they get informed through discussion groups, and get advice. Internet access also creates awareness of cultures existing in different communities and helps learners to access educational resources, which make them informed citizens in their countries (FAO, 2013). Through the internet, people can also access beneficial information on how to socially interact with others, how to equalize disparities between rural and urban people, organize for social change, and how to create new links between rural and urban communities. All this information, which people get from the internet helps in building a community in which equality reigns among citizens. Through the internet, farmers in agribusiness have opportunity trade with global customers and create a business community that would turn difficult to achieve without internet use (FAO, 2013). Internet and the Business Community Business is one of the fields that widely use the internet after advancements in technology. Many of the current organizations have created business communities through the help of the internet, which help them market their products around the globe. Through the internet, organizations in various countries use the common websites to buy and sell products. With the use of social networks available over the web, these organizations do online marketing not only in their country, but also in other countries. This has led to the creation of business communities within which different countries trade after introduction of electronic commerce (Bak & Stair, 2011). Before the introduction of electronic commerce, people had to conduct face to face business transactions, which only made it possible for those within the business’ immediate geographical boundary. However, in modern times the internet makes it easier for business transactions to occur between countries around the globe. Advancements in information technology have brought advancements in electronic commerce. For example, a few days ago, only large businesses conducted e-business processes, but the introduction of World Wide Web through the use of the internet brought changes in the way business transactions occur around the world (Bak & Stair, 2011). The internet has a great potential in creating and maintaining a business community. Introduction of electronic commerce led to the creation of different business communities namely; Business-to-Business, Business-to-Consumer, and Business-to-Government transactions (Bak & Stair, 2011). Business-to-Business transactions create a community where one business transacts a business operation with another business over the internet. This transaction can occur within businesses in the same country or geographical location, and create a community of businesses operating within that area. With the introduction of the internet, businesses can make transactions globally because the internet breaks limitations or barriers existing along the borders due to internet’s accessibility. Given this freedom of access brought by the internet, Business-to-business transactions can be extended around the globe establishing a community of businesses that can trade together over the internet. Business-to-Consumer transaction involves consumers shopping for goods and services from a business through the internet (Bak & Stair, 2011). This transaction can occur between consumers and businesses in their country, but through the internet, the business has a huge potential of creating a community of consumers from other countries with whom it can operate its business. Business-to-Government transactions occur between a business and a country’s government agencies over the internet. Just in the same way transactions between a business and consumers in the same country can advance globally by using the internet, a business can also use the internet to advance its transactions with other government agencies over the world. This creates a community of business partners with different origins, though with similar objectives made possible by the unlimited access through the internet. The ability of using the internet to advance these transactions globally shows the potential it has to create business communities that can operate through marketing their products over on social networks like Facebook, and through websites. Government agencies in one country nowadays transact businesses with others globally due to the freedom of communication between trade organizations like the World Trade Organization. Due to the formation of these organizations, member countries have the freedom to participate in transactions within themselves. Although these countries may have a long separation distance, the internet has the potential of uniting them. This becomes possible because countries participating in electronic business have ethics and cultures governing their operation (Bak & Stair, 2011). These ethics consider the different cultural diversities that exist among their member countries. Use of internet in business calls for consideration on trust, social, legal, security, and ethical issues among the government agencies. This involves all participants acknowledging each other putting aside their differences in cultural and social backgrounds (Bak & Stair, 2011). Once the government trade agencies consider these values, then there exists a high potential of building business communities with the help of the internet. Conclusion Access to the internet contributes a lot to community development. Societies that have adequate access to the internet seem to be more developed compared to those that have limited access. This is because through the internet people have access to helpful information that helps in development issues even in agriculture (FAO, 2013). Through the internet, people have access to their rural radio stations that air information regarding different life issues that contribute to community development. Likewise, people access websites with the help of the internet, without which they would not access useful information. Most of the social networks existing in the world use the internet in their operations. Sites that people use to communicate with their loved ones in the diaspora make a good example of the use of internet in strengthening their communities. The discussions made over the web between citizens of a particular country and those in the Diaspora can be helpful in the development of the community (Bertho, Crawford & Fogarty, 2008). Other sites like Facebook and twitter, among others connect people of different origin and culture, where they share different aspects like trade, among others. This creates a new community of people whose opinions can help either country with its concerns in various issues. Thus, the internet has a great potential of establishing and building communities within a society and the entire world because all these communication media rely on it for their operation. Bibliography Bak, O., & Stair, N. (2011). Impact of e-business technologies on public and private organizations: Industry comparisons and perspectives. Hershey, PA: Business Science Reference. Bertho, M., Crawford, B., & Fogarty, E. A. (2008). The impact of globalization on the United States. Westport, Conn: Praeger. FAO. (2013). The Internet and Rural and Agricultural development - an integrated approach. Retrieved on November 27, 2013, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/w6840e/w6840e02.htm Riel, W. (2013). The Internet and its Impact on Society: A Compelling story about love and despair. Munich: GRIN Verlag. Read More