They are fairly recent phenomena and one that is rapidly developing as more people come to have access to computers and data networks. The virtual spaces constructed by these technologies are not only new, they have some fundamental differences from more familiar terrain of interaction. Virtual spaces change the kinds of communication that can be exchanged between individuals and alter the economies of communication and organization. Like their physical counterparts, virtual communities face the challenge of maintaining their member's commitment, monitoring and sanctioning their behavior, ensuring the continued production of essential resources and organizing their distribution. Communities have the potential to organize their members so as to produce a collective good, something that individual members of the community could not provide for themselves if they had acted alone.
Virtual communities produce a variety of collective goods.
Different aspects of virtual interaction have a significant impact on the kinds of interaction that can take place within them. As a result the economies of copresence are superseded and assembly becomes possible for groups spread widely across the planet. This is particularly relevant in cases where physical presence is impossible, due to political and geographically based restrictions. Second, virtual interaction is largely asynchronous. Conferencing systems and email allow interaction partners to participate in a staggered fashion.