1. Introduction
Since early 1980s, virtual communities have existed on the Internet in the form of Usenet newsgroups. These communities and the accompanying research have recorded exponential growth with the advent of the World Wide Web. Virtual communities form as a result of common interest among individuals and groups to discuss for example, a hobby, a common past experience, or enduring a disease common among the group members. Scholars generally agree on the characteristics that are associated with a virtual community (Stockdale, 2006). For example a virtual community is comprised of members who share an interest, interact repeatedly, generate shared resources, develop governance policies, demonstrate reciprocity, and share cultural norms (Preece, 2000). However, the actual definition of the term “virtual community” often differs based on which individuals join or visit a community (Lee et al, 2003, Preece, 2000). For example, the earliest virtual communities tended to focus on member’s social interests, many more recent virtual communities focus on member’s commercial interests (Kannan et al, 2000).
