One of the many ironies of the technology revolution is that it provides an enormous increase in the ways in which we can connect to each other, but the result is often fewer connections than we enjoyed just a few decades ago. But "a sense of community" is something that can and does translate into the world of technology, and there are thousands of examples.

It might be helpful to look at exactly what we mean by "community," and why it is important. An examination of the dictionary definition yields some, but not all, of the characteristics we associate with the idea, including...

• A sense of place. 50 years ago, that "place" was your neighborhood, your town, your state, your country. But in the virtual world, a "place" can be a storage location on a server, and the "sense" can be an association with a display method, or icon.
• A sense of shared identity. Again, previously, this would have been largely associated with "place," but in the age of television, the "Community of Lakers Fans" extends well beyond the boundaries of the United States, much less Los Angeles.
• A sense of shared purpose. Community contributes to who someone is, but it also can contribute to what s/he does as well. Hence a "community of small business owners" is used as a way to learn, to improve, to define what a small business owner does.

A fourth characteristic - the ability to connect between community members - is not necessary a part of the dictionary definition, but it makes it possible to talk about "community building," that process by which we construct the characteristics of community within a group that is connected. It is technically possible to talk about the "community of beret-wears," or the "community of blondes," but unless this community is connected somehow, it is unlikely to benefit its members, or anyone else.

This idea of community-building translates quite well into the virtual world. Media which can be used to construct a sense of shared identity and purpose include email discussion forums and on-line threaded forums, both of which are available through the Fayette County Office of Technology. The "place," of course, is virtual, but, for some, it is just as real as a VFW meeting hall or a university student union building.

After two months, the FCPS-TRT-L email discussion forum (a private forum for Technology Resource Teachers, Microcomputer Resource Technicians, and Microcomputer Resource Specialists) has established itself as a viable forum, as well as a "place," "identity," and "purpose" for its members See this month's Connections for an examination of this community.

       --Jeffrey L. Jones, Editor