Calif. In my last column I discussed virtual communities in an e-commerce setting. As promised, this column explores virtual communities as a feature of intranets. As more people in an organization become adept at intranet communication, they are beginning to find each other and form communities of interest that cross organizational and geographic boundaries. Communities of interest are different than virtual workgroups, another intranet phenomenon. Communities of interest are self-subscribing, while virtual workgroups are mandated or appointed.
Communities of interest maintain history, statistics, and stories.
In workgroups, these are maintained by the larger organization. Communities of interest set their own goals and visions. In workgroups, goals and vision are set by the larger organization. Communities of interest generate and enforce their own rules and codes. The larger organization heavily influences the creation and enforcement of rules and codes in virtual workgroups.