Online Communities

I am a big fan of the reality show 'Big Brother'. If you are unfamiliar with the show, "houseguests" are locked in a house with dozens of cameras and microphones that record them 24/7 as they live together and compete for power to evict fellow houseguests to see who can survive to the end for a $500,000 prize. There are two ways to watch the show, in real time via live streaming and via edited recaps that air 3 times a week on CBS. Over the 20 years that the show has been on air, a rabid community of fans have created forums to watch and record everything that happens in the house and share it online with those that either don't want to pay for the live stream or don't have time to sit around and watch all day. For the first decade or so, these were dedicated websites that have now evolved in to a broader community on Twitter that keep tabs on all the action. Since these interactions have now become more two-way and conversational, it's hard to argue that this isn't a loose community of people that share a common interest in the show.