Are virtual communites really the same as real life communites?

In the reading by Nathan Vivian and Fay Sudweeks called Social networks in Transnational and Virtual Communities they state that virtual communities are like any other real communities. They also say that people bring the same values to virtual communities as they do in real life communities. I think that it is a large generalisation and assumption that all people carry the same values to both types of communities. Virtual communities like Facebook do allow people to interact in a virtual landscape as they would in real life. Although in my opinion virtual communities allow people to create idealised versions of themselves. Virtual communities have people set up profiles about themselves, therefore have power and control over how they are seen and perceived as on their profile. Members of virtual communities often have profile pictures of themselves and written "about me" sections, this is so that other members can see what you look like and learn more about your personalities and likes. However this means that members have the power and control over how they are seen and perceived. Members have the power to decide what pictures of them of used and what exactly is going to be written to describe them. I often look at the profile pictures on Facebook and try read into what that person is trying to say about themselves, and how they want others to read them through the image. I feel that people try to embellish themselves in virtual communities; they create idealised versions of themselves. Often I will find people with model posed profile pictures as if to prove to the world that they are beautiful, or I will find people doing weird poses or drinking alcohol, as if to try show themselves as "weird, crazy, totally out there" types. Meantime half these people are just average Joes who are not anything special to look at nor are they crazy, witty, funny or whatever else they trying desperately become. So I don’t think that virtual communities and real life communities are exactly the same, because in virtual communities you have more power in the way that you want people to perceive you.

With regards to bringing the same values, I also don’t fully agree. The persona’s and identities that people adopt in the internet and virtual communities are not necessarily the same as real life. The amount of porn on the internet shows that people are into voyeurism, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these are the same people are going to try watch their mates having shag. Let's be honest here, we've all seen porn on the internet, I have. But I certainly wouldn’t go into say Adult World and go sit in the viewing booth! This may not be a perfect example of the point I’m trying to make, and I will try think of better examples in coming posts.

Otherwise I'm, going to stick to my guns about people using the internet to create hyper-realities about themselves especially in the realms of virtual communities.