Communities

I am an unapologetic lurker, and most of the time I have spent in the internet has been in that capacity. I read a lot on the internet, and learn a lot, but I have never been a member of an online community. I rarely even use Facebook beyond liking a post here and there. So, my experience joining a couple of online communities and participating in them over the past two weeks has been interesting.

I am participating in two communities, both on Facebook, and both concerning hiking in the Pacific Northwest. One of the groups is focused on Olympic National Park, and one is focused on Mount Rainier National Park. When I posted on the Olympic page, I immediately received over 20 replies suggesting various hikes throughout the park, as well as advice about tide charts and trail closures. The group seemed very eager to share their love of the park, and they were very welcoming. However, when I posted on the Mount Rainier page I got only one response. This has actually made me prioritize Olympic during my trip, because the overwhelming enthusiasm from the group made me really excited to experience the places they recommended.

I have to say, however, that I haven't really learned any more from participating in the group than I have lurking. I had already found information about most of the places the community recommended by reading posts on the Reddit group and elsewhere. So, I am not sure that there is better information available by joining a community, at least not in this specific case. It was, however, a lovely experience to feel welcomed by the community, and to see how excited they were to share their knowledge and passion with others. So, I did gain something from joining the community, and that was a sense of welcome and belonging. They've asked me to post pictures during our hikes, which I absolutely will!