Give me a free paper...
I'll think about my past and realize how underprivileged I was for the use and knowledge of computers and the Internet. Up until July of 1997, I did not own a computer and was not informed of the broad possibilities a computer can offer. At that time, I was 18 years old and was starting my first semester at Moorpark College. So, I convinced my parents to buy me a computer. Four years ago, the computer I had in mind which had a speed of 240 megahertz over 35 megabytes of hard drive was considered an above average system. I will never forget the day I brought home my new Compaq Presario computer and experimented with it. I wanted to go online but I didn't know how to set up or access the Internet. Which was a big disadvantage at the time considering my anxiousness and curiosity of the online world. When I think back, my assumptions of the Internet were almost unrealistic. I thought of the Internet as nothing more but to receive information and exchange e-mails. Sadly, I was Internet deprived. No one in my family used or needed a computer. Therefor, my experience with technology was very limited. During that period, my depravation was so severe that I almost paid no interest to the Internet and I felt it wasn't important. Nevertheless, I was still curious. I had the eagerness to learn more about the virtual world. My ambition was to investigate and educate myself concerning what the Internet really entails. I used to wonder if there are specific locations where people can meet to share common interests and goals. I never thought of the Internet as a place for social interaction or contained communities with people who specifically shared common interests. I was eager to know in depth what an online community was. The emergence of the Internet presents enormous opportunities and challenges to humanity. People have the opportunity to evolve even greater today compared to a hundred years ago due to the simplicity of gathering any kind of information from the Internet. So, if we work to preserve its openness and diversity, we can ensure that the Net will be used to change the human condition for the better, and can prevent or mitigate its less desirable consequences. learned the Internet is more than wires, computers, software, modems, router, standards, and the applications that use them. It even encompasses more than text and pictures, and the audio and video that are rapidly joining media. The Net is also the collective knowledge and experience of countless communities, each with its own modes of interaction, languages of discourse, and forms of cultural expression. Howard Rheingold, in her article, "The Heart of the Well," characterizes an online community in three ways. First are the common interests. Common interests can contain online postings or discussions for the exchange of information regarding anything from automobiles to health concerns. When someone has a desire to visit an online community, it's usually for the purpose to retrieve or offer information. However, I believe people who join online communities is merely for the purpose to socially interact with others. Second is the frequent collaboration of the community participants. Without frequent collaboration, it causes a community to die out. To work jointly with others in an intellectual endeavor is important in order to keep the collaboration within a community.