This sub-chapter summarises different theorist's views on Computer-mediated communication (CMC), and suggests that most of these different arguments are based around the notion of "community". Even though they might not even entirely agree on what the term community actually means exactly.
One of the first points of views that is mentioned "...an antidote to the social fragmentation of contemporary life" [p. 172] (which funnily enough doesn't get referenced by the author) is one that I find a particularly interesting one as it somehow inplies that the social fragmentation in real life is something that happens completely seperate from the influence of online communities. Also, surely, the niche nature of many online communities which I mentioned on the blog before SURELY enables for fragmentation of social relations more than anything.
"Computer mediated communications, it seems, will do by way of electronic pathways what cement roads were enable to do, nomely connectus rather than atomise us, put us at the controls of a 'vehicle' and yet not detachus from the restof the world." (Jones: 1994: 10)
Although I can deffinitely see the point Jones is making here, being part of the greater "world" without giving up the sens of individual choice that the internet brings, I personally would argue that the sense of individual choice and the way you can easily avoid certain aspects of the "greater" community easily make that people do all go seperate ways.
Yes, you CAN go different individual ways and still be connected with everyone, for example by using big general-public orientated services like Facebook, but there is nothing stopping you from JUST being part of niche and interest-specific online communities (sometimes even based on actual real-life minorities, for example "the well"
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