Virtual Communities

Written for both scholars and practitioners, this volume focuses on the design, management, use and impact of Virtual Communities (VCs) from technological, social and economic perspectives. It brings together peer-reviewed research articles that give an in-depth review of the state-of-the-art practices, and also shows opportunities for research and practice in and around VCs.The book is structured in four parts. The first part focuses on the fundamentals of VCs. The second part discusses the challenges and limitations of VCs in different areas of application. Part III presents approaches to design for and discusses aspects of the development of VCs. The final section (Part IV) extends Internet- and PC-based Virtual Communities to the world of mobile and ubiquitous computing.