Virtual Community

I joined a fashion community for fashion students online. It is basically for fashion students to get together an communicate about different fashion events, the things they are involved in and where fashion students can get advice for their future. I first posted a blog about myself moving to Los Angeles to start my career and asked if anyone had any suggestions for me. I received no responses. I dis receive a couple of friend requests but other than that the community of not so mucha community for me. I did not feel like I belonged as discussed by Wood and Smith. I still enjoy checking it every once and a while though to see if their has been any new activity. I have even posted pictures of a recent fashion show I helped put together for Oregon State this past Spring to see if I would get some repsonses. No responses. I guess maybe I was not active enough possibly. I also joined some other groups on there that were for certain organizations, such as the FIDM group. I joined this group because I plan on attending the Fashion Insistute in LA once I touch down. I am going to continue using this site as a resource for my future because it seems it may be helpful. I can research companies and I think maybe I can even put my resume up just to see what happend. It is basically a resource for any fashion student interested in actively pursuing their future. So I guess I was not accepted to the group yet, but I plan on getting in there. As I receive more friend request and more responses to my postings, I will know I have been accepted. Once I feel like other students in the community are taking me seriously through the type of responses they give me, then I will know I am accepted. As discussed in lecture, "We just don’t get together in our communities like we used to. Consequently, the authors suggest we seek other places to fulfill our need for belonging. Enter the internet." I feel this is very true. For many, the internet and virtual communication as I have stated previously throughout this class, that these days, many are relying on the internet. It sometimes seems that online communities are replacing people's real lives. And they come to rely on the internet as their idenity. I think the concern is that we do not let our virtual communiations overtake our real lives. Society has made us so relint on machines, as discussed by Postman. Postman says that with the increasing mechanization of life, Postman argues that “Machines eliminate complexity, doubt and ambiguity” (p. 93). Technology has made it so we are allowed to create these virtual worlds and blog with each other and exchange ideas with ease. Technology has connected people in exciting ways and the evolution is not stopping. Technology has made it possible for me ti apply fo jobs online, in fact I am waiting to get to LA for an interview already.