Editorial

摘要

Virtual communities are used to share visions and feelings. We all experience once in a while that we have an opinion about a topic, different from the majority of a community. Do we give up our opinions or sustain in our own uniqueness? Trust and norms are issues at the background; A challenge for the moderators of virtual communities. And a must for brand communities and marketing campaigns as well. This special issue touches the question to what extent we really feel attached to members of web-communities, and in how far we derived identity from the community logo as such? The underlying articles plead for the notion of SOVC: 'Sense of virtual community', in contrast to just 'liking'. Sense refers to the result of a mutual feeling, often indicated as mutual sympathy of affinity.