Doheny-Farina says the virtual communities of the Internet can be alluring and dazzling, but they aren't real communities. They individuate us. In the civic networking movement, the Internet is seen as a tool to foster and nurture community activism. In short, the civic networking movement supports the concept that people live in a unique communities, with a strong sense of geographical place. In virtual communities where people are not accountable for their words, anything goes.
People share only what they wish to share, and the risks of real vulnerability are low.
A community is bound by place, which always includes complex social and environmental necessities. It is not something you can easily join. You can't subscribe to a community as you subscribe to a discussion group on the net. It must be lived. It is entwined, contradictory, and involves all our senses.