Communities and Networks

From the 1^st week of discussion topics for EME 6414, questions were asked of determining the differences between communities and networks – both online and off.

How would I define each term?

Social Networks – From the Health Knowledge website, social networks are individuals or organizations that are tied together by one or more specific types of interdependency, such as values, visions, ideas, financial exchanges, friendship along with dislikes, conflict or trade. I like the idea behind the social network being a map of all the relevant relationships under study. The map can be a means of identifying individuals or organizations in various locations that are a part of the network. 

Communities – also from the UK Health Knowledge website, communities are a specific group of people who all hold something in common. Communities are more associated with two key aspects: people who share locality or geographical places, and secondly people that are communities of interest.

Describe some communities and networks to which you belong, noting what differentiates the two.

For me, communities are more in person, and networks have more of an online presence. Communities I am a part of in person are my local neighborhood, and my co-workers. I’m hoping to become more involved in more local communities once Covid is more under control, and it is safer to venture out once more people locally receive the offered vaccine. Networks I am a part of include the members of the course EME 6414, as we all connect with each other over the internet, along with several video game streamers and various hobbie podcasts I am involved in, mainly on a passive basis of just consuming content, I don’t create any of my own.

How do communities and networks differ in offline and online spaces?

Communities tend to be more in person focus with people gathering together, and networks being more online focused, but they can apply to both areas. Communities in person can be larger and more personal, whereas online communities sometimes take longer to build up and often remain small. Networks on the other hand can be large both online and offline with organizations and entire teams involved both in person and online to achieve a specific goal.

What happens when they co-exist in both spaces?

In the cases where communities and networks can co-exist, either in person or online, it can seem overwhelming at first with a new audience, but once things begin to open up and come together, larger ideas and solutions to problems can be accomplished as more individuals and companies or teams within companies could pool their collective resources to accomplish more together than they ever could on their own.

For one thing, at my workplace, the community of the workers has been spreading the word about job postings as they come up, but with the organization’s online network getting more exposure to the job post, which together with the efforts of the network and community can reach more people for successful candidates to fill open positions.

Lauren Horne

Reference

Health Knowledge. Social networks and communities of interest. (Web page). Retrieved from https://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/organisation-management/5b-understanding-ofs/social-networks