Community of interest

{{Short description|Type of affinity group}}

{{for|computer security|Community of interest (computer security)}}

{{Community}}

A community of interest, or interest-based community, is a community of people who share a common interest or passion. These people exchange ideas and thoughts about the given passion, but may know (or care) little about each other outside this area. Participation in a community of interest can be compelling, entertaining and create a community where people return frequently and remain for extended periods. Frequently, they cannot be easily defined by a particular geographical area.

In other words, "a community of interest is a gathering of people assembled around a topic of common interest. Its members take part in the community to exchange information, to obtain answers to personal questions or problems, to improve their understanding of a subject, to share common passions or to play."{{cite journal |last1=Henri |first1=F. |last2=Pudelko |first2=B. |title=Understanding and analysing activity and learning in virtual communities: Activity and learning in virtual communities |journal=Journal of Computer Assisted Learning |date=December 2003 |volume=19 |issue=4 |pages=474–487 |doi=10.1046/j.0266-4909.2003.00051.x |s2cid=14040518 |url=https://telearn.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00190267/file/Henri-France-2003.pdf }} In contrast to a spatial community, "a community of interest is defined not by space, but by some common bond (e.g. feeling of attachment) or entity (e.g. farming, church group)".{{cite journal|vauthors=Ramsey D, Beesley KB|url=http://www.rrh.org.au/articles/subviewnew.asp?ArticleID=850|title='Perimeteritis' and rural health in Manitoba, Canada: perspectives from rural healthcare managers|journal=Rural and Remote Health|volume=7|issue=4|page=850|year=2007|pmid=18081449}}

Online communities connect to communities of interest in that often, they develop out of interests in a particular topic.{{cite journal |last1=Hopkins |first1=Liza |last2=Thomas |first2=Julian |last3=Meredyth |first3=Denise |last4=Ewing |first4=Scott |title=Social capital and community building through an electronic network |journal=Australian Journal of Social Issues |date=November 2004 |volume=39 |issue=4 |pages=369–379 |doi=10.1002/j.1839-4655.2004.tb01188.x |url=https://researchbank.swinburne.edu.au/file/6a7dccab-dc32-48b8-89be-166bd531f547/1/PDF%20(Published%20version).pdf }} A benefit of online communities over place-based communities is that of non-physical access to group involvement.