The growing importance of e-communities on the web:

 The web is more and more a technological basis for the information and knowledge society.
 The impact they have on the way our society works is tremendous.
 Their role and potential has just been discovered and is bound to further increase in the course of the time.

2.1 Wiki

 Wiki or “wiki wiki” means quick in Hawaiian.

WARD CUNNINGHAM
 Designer of the said cite from Portland.
 Described wiki as:
“ the simplest online database that could possibly work”.

“CamelCase”
> describes link to other pages
> specialty of a wiki-syntax

. Important features of wiki:

 A sophisticated version control which enables users to see recent changes and the history of the changes of a Web page.
 Wiki page makes sure that there are cross links between pages in wiki.
 The old version of wiki page can easily be reconstructed by the use of version control.

2.2 Blog
 Shortened term for Weblog which;
> describes on which an individual or a group frequently generate text, upload photographs, video or audio files and links.

 A blog is even easier to create and maintain using common free software.
 A blog is “additive”
Different Type of Blogs;
 Personal blogs
> often act as an online diary containing very personal opinions and facts.
 Collaborative blogs
> interesting type of blog
>written by more than one person.
IMPORTANT ADVANTAGE:
> the speed of such a medium.
 Blogs about news
 Politics blogs and,
 Topical blogs
2.3 Discussion Forums on the Web
 Discussion Forum
> a popular tool for theme-based communication on the Web which is methodologically similar to the first based client.
> come in many flavors and can be un-moderated or moderated.
> often offer good structure that are not preferred over blogs.
Other Interesting Services/Tools/Technologies for e-communities
Tools and technologies are emerging almost everyday.
EXAMPLES:
Google Earth 2005
> a software that enables users to search for places all over the planet.
NASA World Wind 2006
> an open software geographical system which offer similar features like Google Earth but in a more scientific manner.