The Main Page - A Review Governance Structures Found in Several Different Text-Based Online Communities Ethical and Social Problems that Arise in Online Communities Identities and Social Interactions in MUDs Online Gaming Communities, and Their Governance Structures

As more and more interactions occur on the internet, online communities are sprouting rapidly. Where these communities arise, they have established governances that regulate how they function, barriers to entry, and codes of conduct. Our goal is to study different types of online communities and through this study discover the types of government that emerge in these communities, as well as the governments that are imposed on these communities from the outside. We will also discuss the cultures that shape and are shaped by these communities, and delve into issues such as new understandings of identity and gender. Finally, we will explore the technological underpinnings of these societies, and how their electronic boundaries influence the emerging government.