On-line communities emerge to assist people to meet, network and establish
communication channels. This often happens at a geographical level or at a special-interest
level. People meet, talk to, work with and, in the extreme, even fall in love with and marry
individuals that they have never met in person.
Virtual communities may also be established between people with common
interests. Thousands of bulletin boards, discussion groups and chat pages assist people to
communicate all over the world.
Digital living increasingly places less and less emphasis upon people being in a
specific place at a specific time, and people increasingly operate from a distance. The
internet therefore introduces new practices, such as home shopping, tele-entertainment,
tele-working, tele-learning, tele-medical support and tele-banking. This will be particularly
critical for remote, insular and peripheral communities.