Editing Community (section)

==Internet communities==
{{main|Virtual community}}
In general, [[Virtual community|virtual communities]] value knowledge and information as [[social currency|currency]] or social resource.<ref>Ridings, Catherine M., Gefen, David (2017). From the couch to the keyboard: Psychotherapy in cyberspace. In S. Kiesler (Ed.), ''Culture of the Internet'' (pp. 71–102). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, cited in Binik, Y. M., Cantor, J., Ochs, E., & Meana, M. (1997).</ref><ref>Ridings, Catherine M., Gefen, David (2017). Asynchronous learning networks as a virtual classroom. ''Communications of the ACM'', 40 (9), 44–49, cited in Hiltz, S. R., & Wellman, B. (1997).</ref><ref>Ridings, Catherine M., Gefen, David (2017). A slice of life in my virtual community. In L. M. Harasim (Ed.), ''Global networks: Computers and international communication''  (pp. 57–80). Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, cited in Rheingold, H. (1993a).</ref><ref>Ridings, Catherine M., Gefen, David (2017). Atheism, sex and databases: The Net as a social technology. In S. Kiesler (Ed.), ''Culture of the Internet''  (pp. 35–51). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, cited in Sproull, L., & Faraj, S. (1997).</ref> What differentiates virtual communities from their physical counterparts is the extent and impact of "weak ties", which are the relationships acquaintances or strangers form to acquire information through online networks.<ref>Ridings, Catherine M., Gefen, David (2017). The kindness of strangers: The usefulness of electronic weak ties for technical advice. ''Organization Science'', 7 (2), 119–135, cited in Constant, D., Sproull, L., & Kiesler, S. (1996).</ref> Relationships among members in a [[virtual community]] tend to focus on information exchange about specific topics.<ref>Baym, N. K. (2000). ''Tune in, log on: Soaps, fandom and online community.'' Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.</ref><ref>Wellman, B., & Gulia, M. (1999a). The network basis of social support: A network is more than the sum of its ties. In B. Wellman (Ed.), ''Networks in the global village: Life in contemporary communities''  (pp. 83–118). Boulder, CO: Westview Press.</ref> A survey conducted by [[Pew Research Centre|Pew Internet]] and The American Life Project in 2001 found those involved in entertainment, professional, and sports virtual-groups focused their activities on obtaining information.<ref>Horrigan, J. B., Rainie, L., & Fox, S. (2001). ''Online communities: Networks that nurture long-distance relationships and local ties.'' Retrieved October 17, 2003 from http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/Report1.pdf {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219140356/http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/Report1.pdf |date=2009-02-19 }}.</ref>

An epidemic of [[cyberbullying|bullying]] and harassment has arisen from the exchange of information between strangers, especially among teenagers,<ref>{{cite journal | last=Smith | first=Peter K. | last2=Mahdavi | first2=Jess | last3=Carvalho | first3=Manuel | last4=Fisher | first4=Sonja | last5=Russell | first5=Shanette | last6=Tippett | first6=Neil | title=Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils | journal=Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines | volume=49 | issue=4 | date=2008 | issn=1469-7610 | pmid=18363945 | doi=10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x | pages=376–385}}</ref> in virtual communities. Despite attempts to implement anti-bullying policies, Sheri Bauman, professor of counselling at the University of Arizona, claims the "most effective strategies to prevent bullying" may cost companies revenue.<ref>
{{cite web
 |url= https://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-it-may-be-too-late-for-instagram-facebook-and-twitter-to-contain-the-epidemic-in-online-bullying-2019-07-15 |title= Instagram, Facebook and Twitter struggle to contain the epidemic in online bullying |last= Wellemeyer |first= James |date= July 17, 2019 |website= MarketWatch |access-date= September 30, 2019
}}
</ref>

Virtual Internet-mediated communities can interact with offline [[real-life]] activity, potentially forming strong and tight-knit groups such as [[QAnon]].<ref>{{cite news
 |last1            = Dickson
 |first1           = E.J.
 |title            = The QAnon Community Is in Crisis — But On Telegram, It's Also Growing
 |url              = https://shop.rollingstone.com/
 |magazine         = Rolling Stone
 |publisher        = Rolling Stone, LLC
 |publication-date = 22 January 2021
 |issn             = 0035-791X
 |access-date      = 18 February 2021
 |quote            = On the encrypted messaging app Telegram, however, which is currently serving as a bastion of far-right extremism, the QAnon community is not just thriving, but growing, according to data from the Center for Hate and Extremism.
 |archive-date     = 16 February 2021
 |archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20210216044321/https://shop.rollingstone.com/
 |url-status       = dead
}}</ref>