Community Theory

Time to get something written.

What is a community? How does it form? How does it grow. Now that I think about it I wonder if a community is alive? What about in this digital world? are online communities real things? What separates communities?

What causes war? How can people actually kill each other? Seems that it is usually justified by saying that they are lesser people and not deserving of what they have. It's for their own good after all. Or maybe they started it first and we are only protecting ourselves.
Anything can be used to draw a line in the sand to differentiate Us from Them

How about computer games? they usually have a lot of war and killing, the overcoming of some dark tower. All in all I rarely play a creative game on the PC where you build things out of lego bricks. I'm just not interested in growing virtual plants, unless they then kill zombies.

How does this all relate? Well computer games are more fun when there is a community to share them with. Be it the developers who will support you and help make sure the game actually works. The other players who try to finish the game first/better than you and then tell you all the cheats and shortcuts. Or maybe the NPCs themselves, yes you can even form a community with them. Especially when there is a Wise Old Mage + Brutish Lout of a Berzerker + Thief who is Quite Debonair  + Princess (who happens to be your love interest, oh she is a healer too).

I saw a list somewhere on how a community forms.
1 a group of people exist (Boat crashes on deserted island)
2 Identify a common goal, (do nor die)
3 Be on your best behaviour, work together to achieve goals (collect food)
4 Relax, be your true self, conflicts arise (U lazy, I got more food)
5 Sub communities develop / community fractures / community consolidates (one of the three)
6 Death (shipwrecked passengers get rescued)

I think I am done for now...