This discussion has been informative. I am interested in groups of people interacting over the Internet the way we are interacting via this listserve. So let me ask some questions about terminology. Are we who are subscribed to the AoIR listserve a "community".? If so, what are characteristics that allow us to be so categorized? If, as I suspect, we would be better described be a term other than "community", what collective noun would you suggest? Does the fact that there is an "Association of Internet Researchers" make a difference"? What would be the correct collective noun for a similar group subscribed to a listserve if subscribers did not link also through a formal organization? Communities seem to involve institutionalized relationships and practices among community members. What, if any are the key institutional relationships and practices involved in our group (other than the formalized ones of the AoIR)? Finally, what are the institutional factors that make participation in this listserve more (or less) valuable to our professional work? -- John Daly