But books that are written at a time when people might still be able to do something about an issue have more importance. Histories are important, and books that help people think about the wider issues are important. Maybe, because this is very early in what I think is the third big wave of technology-enabled change, we can apply some of what we’ve learned to shape rather than be the victims of circumstance.

The proximate reason is that I’ve written this at a time when a lot of people have some experience and knowledge of what happened to them and their industry and to the world as a result of the PC and the Internet. Most of the stories he tells in The Virtual Community involve people who live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Why do you say so?įor a couple of reasons. Howard Rheingold acknowledges this possibility, but the virtual community, as he sees it, actually does require some ties to physical community. Howard Rheingold You’ve called Smart Mobs your most important book. 12, 2002, in advance of the PopTech conference in Camden, Maine.

Howard Rheingold - online pioneer, author of the best-sellers Virtual Reality and The Virtual Community - has a new book, Smart Mobs. The Internet pioneer looks at the effect of disruptive technologies on society, culture and the entertainment industry A virtual community is a social network of individuals who connect through specific social media, potentially crossing geographical and political boundaries in order to pursue mutual interests or goals.Some of the most pervasive virtual communities are online communities operating under social networking services.

Howard rheingold virtual reality