A virtual community is a social network of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals. Some of the most pervasive virtual communities are online communities operating under social networking services.
An online community, also called an internet community or web community, is a community whose members interact with each other primarily via the Internet. For many, online communities may feel like home, consisting of a "family of invisible friends", additionally these 'friends' can be connected through gaming communities and gaming companies. Those who wish to be a part of an online community usually have to become a member via a specific site and thereby gain access to specific content or links, but today's society and economy where media life has been fully integrated into the average day; the online community has stemmed to a full-blow culture. An online community can act as an information system where members can post, comment on discussions, give advice or collaborate, and includes medical advice or specific health care research as well. Commonly, people communicate through social networking sites, chat rooms, forums, e-mail lists, and discussion boards, and have advanced into daily social media platforms as well. This includes Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.. People may also join online communities through video games, blogs, and virtual worlds, and could potentially meet new significant others in dating sites or dating virtual worlds. The rise in popularity of Web 2.0 websites has allowed for easier real-time communication and connection to others and facilitated the introduction of new ways for information to be exchanged. Yet, these interactions may also lead to a downfall of social interactions or deposit more negative and derogatory forms of speaking to others, in connection, surfaced forms of racism, bullying, sexist comments, etc. may also be investigated and linked to online communities.
LinkedIn is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking, including employers posting jobs and job seekers posting their CVs. As of 2015, most of the company's revenue came from selling access to information about its members to recruiters and sales professionals. Since December 2016, it has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft. As of May 2020, LinkedIn had 706 million registered members in 150 countries.
A social networking service is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections.
The Livestrong Foundation is a United States nonprofit organization that provides support for people affected by cancer. The foundation, based in Austin, Texas, was established in 1997 by cancer survivor and former professional road racing cyclist Lance Armstrong, as the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The Livestrong brand was launched by the foundation in 2003. Armstrong resigned from the foundation in 2012 after his admission of doping, leading to the rebranding of the entire organization as Livestrong Foundation.
Peer support occurs when people provide knowledge, experience, emotional, social or practical help to each other. It commonly refers to an initiative consisting of trained supporters, and can take a number of forms such as peer mentoring, reflective listening, or counseling. Peer support is also used to refer to initiatives where colleagues, members of self-help organizations and others meet, in person or online, as equals to give each other connection and support on a reciprocal basis.
Marc Scarpa is an American entrepreneur, producer and director specializing in live participatory media. He is an executive board member and the founding New York Chair of the Producers Guild of America New Media Council and a recipient of the Marc A. Levey distinguished service award. Scarpa has received a Webby Award in 2010 for Best Event / Live Webcast for his work on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, a Cannes Bronze Lion for Branded Content and Entertainment for the X Factor Pepsi Digital Preshow and Xtra Factor App and four Social TV Awards including Best of Show for X Factor Pepsi Digital Preshow and Xtra Factor App. Additionally, he has been a panelist for conferences such as NATPE, X-Summit, LTE North America, Digital Hollywood and Canadian Music Week among others.
Online health communities are online social networks related to health. They primarily provide a means for patients and their families to learn about illnesses, to seek and offer social support, and to connect with others in similar circumstances. These online groups can be composed of individuals with illnesses, groups of medical professionals with shared interests, non-professional caregivers and family of patients, or a combination. The term "online health community" is primarily academic jargon.
A web series is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet and part of the web television medium, which first emerged in the late 1990s and became more prominent in the early 2000s. A single instance of a web series program can be called an episode or "webisode", however the latter term is not often used. In general, web series can be watched on a range of platforms and devices, including desktop, laptop, tablets and smartphones. They can also be watched on television.
PatientsLikeMe is the world’s largest integrated community, health management, and real-world data platform. Through PatientsLikeMe, a growing community of more than 830,000 people with over 2,900 conditions share personal stories and information about their health, symptoms, and treatments, with a goal to improve the lives of all patients through knowledge derived from shared real-world experiences and outcomes. Data generated by patients themselves are systemically collected and quantified while also providing an environment for peer support and learning. These data capture the complex temporality and competing influences of different lifestyle choices, socio-demographics, conditions, and treatments on a person’s health. Everything members share empowers the community with personal agency, establishing PLM as a clinically robust resource with demonstrated impact, including more than 100 studies in peer-reviewed medical and scientific journals.
ICanServe Foundation, Inc., formerly Information on Breast Cancer and Other Services, is a non-stock, non-profit organization that advocates early breast cancer detection through breast self-examination. Based in Manila, Philippines, and co-founded in 1999 by journalist Kara Magsanoc-Alikpala, a breast cancer survivor, the advocacy group empowers women with breast cancer and women cancer-related information so they can have a voice in their own health care. Its mission is to arm women with breast care health and breast cancer information so they can make informed decisions about their health. It also provides access to special services that will help the breast cancer survivor recover and heal more effectively.
Destructoid is a website that was founded as a video game-focused blog in March 2006 by Yanier Gonzalez, a Cuban-American cartoonist and author. It is part of the Enthusiast Gaming network.
Behance is a social media platform owned by Adobe which claims "to showcase and discover creative work".
The Daily Dot is a digital media company covering Internet culture and life on the web. Founded by Nicholas White in 2011, The Daily Dot is headquartered in Austin, Texas.
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is a United States-based 501(c)(3) charity that funds research, provides patient/caregiver support, conducts community outreach and advocates for increased federal research funding for those affected by pancreatic cancer.
The Cancer Support Community (CSC) is an organization whose mission is to ensure that all people impacted by cancer are empowered by knowledge, strengthened by action and sustained by community. CSC focuses on three areas of support: direct service delivery, research, and advocacy.
Cancer In Common is a social network connecting cancer survivors, patients and their friends. It enables users to search then communicate privately with other members, based on their type of cancer, age and location.
AJ+ is an online news and current events channel run by Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN). The service is available on its website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, with written content on Medium. English, Arabic, French and Spanish languages versions are currently live.
Inspire is an Arlington, Virginia-based healthcare social network. It builds and manages online support groups for patients and caregivers, and connects patients to life science companies for the purpose of research.
Imerman Angels is a non-profit organization founded in the United States in 2006 that provides guidance and resources with an emphasis on one-on-one support for cancer fighters and caregivers. Jonny Imerman founded the organization after being diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2003 and realizing the need for one-on-one mental support. Imerman Angels connects cancer patients with cancer survivors to provide support through their journey from having cancer to being cancer-free. Patients are connected with nearby mentors through a database of over 6,000 cancer survivors.
