I completed the community observation assignment at the start of this week and then immediately became ill. I’m still sick and hope to be better by the end of this weekend. Throughout engaging in the communities and writing the paper I learnt a few things about myself and online communities:
- I am way more into CrossFit than I realized. I chose to engage in 2 communities centered around CrossFit, which is my preferred method of exercising. I have been doing CrossFit for about a year and a half and love the challenging nature of the sport. I would not describe myself as someone who has totally bought into the hype or the community, but after joining these groups and realizing how much I think about CrossFit, maybe I am!?
- I am the same online as I am in person. One article I referenced talked about the fact that people engage online the same as they would face-to-face if they cannot be anonymous. I never thought about it that way, but it is true. I am highly introverted and dislike social interaction.
- Facebook has contributor posts and a profile for the group. I have never been on a private Facebook group before, so I had no idea you get points that help determine the top contributors. I also had no idea there was a separate “profile” that group members initially see when they click on your user.
Overall, it was a great experience that took me far outside my comfort zone. I am 100% a lurker, not a contributor online and in real life.