Community

Wherein Our Heroine Defines it, But Refuses to Codify it.

I've been thinking about communities a lot lately. My thoughts have been rotating around what I would call the two different types of community - the optional and the mandatory. We all belong to mandatory groups - family, ethnicity, the human race in general. Those of us who are not card-carrying hermits also often belong to optional groups - clubs, religious organizations, political parties.

In general, I am allergic to joining clubs. I think it has something to do with the way a definition tends to get wallpapered on to a person when they join a club. "Oh, her," I imagine someone saying. "She belongs to the Federalist Society." And that says it all - you have to spend a year to convince that person (if they ever talk to you or bother to listen to you at all), "I only joined so I could go to the annual skeet shoot." Despite the fact that no two people ever agree completely about everything (and few groups of people can ever agree on even one item unanimously), you are often assumed to have your DNA re-mapped so you align more perfectly to the goals and objectives of the group you have joined. It's easier to remain independent.

But I do belong to groups - they resemble Kurt Vonnegut's concept of the karass - a spontaneously formed group of individuals who are drawn together via some sort of affinity and work together towards a common goal. I have friends, fellow yogins, knitters, bloggers, Mac enthusiasts... None of these require a membership, a charter, organized meetings or the carrying of an identity card, and that's the way I like it.

Welcome to the WoT? karass. There are no meetings and membership is not tallied. You are free to stand at the edges and watch, or fully participate in discussion. We will not be collecting dues, and we will issue no identity cards. Have a nice day.

Posted: Monday - August 09, 2004 at 07:57 AM | |