section_heading: Internetske zajednice
paragraph_text: Općenito, virtualne zajednice cijene znanje i informacije kao valutu ili društveni resurs.<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>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>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>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). Ono što razlikuje virtualne zajednice od fizičkih je opseg i utjecaj "slabih veza", a to su odnosi koje stvaraju poznanici ili stranci kako bi dobili informacije putem internetskih mreža.<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). Odnosi među članovima virtualne zajednice obično su usmjereni na razmjenu informacija o određenim temama.<ref>Baym, N. K. (2000). Tune in, log on: Soaps, fandom and online community. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications, Inc.<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. Istraživanje koje su proveli Pew Internet i The American Life Project 2001. pokazalo je da su osobe uključene u zabavne, profesionalne i sportske virtualne grupe usredotočile svoje virtualne aktivnosti na dobivanje informacija.<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 .