In his book, The Virtual Community, Howard Rheingold talks about the development of the WELL, the first online virtual community where people could chat and discuss a range of topics from parenting to politics.
When reading, it is hard not to compare the WELL to Facebook and other social networking sites. The WELL seems to be an introductory basis that Zuckerburg and others could have worked off, with its chat options, e-mail and discussion topics available for its users. The WELL provided the platform for the way our society and culture has moved towards an ever-growing and ever-prevalent world of Facebook.
However, one difference that I noticed between the WELL and Facebook was the idea that the WELL is based on meeting people through the virtual community that you do not already know. Rheingold talks about this and the relationships he made through this virtual world with complete strangers. He notes that although he felt like he was close to these people because of the discussions and conversations they had on the WELL, it was still a strange and awkward situation meeting them for the first time IRL (in real life). Yet, the majority of Facebook users only 'friend' people they are already close with or have just met, as Facebook is a way for people to become closer after that initial personal introduction.
Another aspect of Rheingold's discussion that I found interesting was how he used the Parenting conference to instantly find out remedies or suggestions for his kids. This reminded me of Google and how the site has become a cultural icon that people rely on for any and every kind of information they need. The instantaneity of Google is amazing and it is a tool that our generation cannot imagine our world without. Perhaps those WELLites (as Rheingold calls them), or anyone for that matter, did not realize how influential the site would be in future years, but just how far the WELL has led us into the 21st century cannot be denied or overlooked.
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