In society today, people live in two worlds – the real and the virtual. 

There are 6.5 billion people in the real world; and at the same time, over 1 billion live in a virtual world – called “cyberspace” or the internet. 

A new research report just came out from the Center for the Digital Future at the University of South California.  Their 2007 Digital Project revealed that 43% of internet users who are members of online communities say that they “feel strongly” about their virtual community as they do about their real-world community.

Community is where people “connect” and build relationships with others who share common interests.  Community is a place where people belong and feel safe.  People want to hang-out with others of their own choosing – a small group of people, whom they trust.

Although online communities are populated by millions of people, most gather in small groups.  Most people try to find a way to get away from the crowd and hang-out with family and friends in a safe environment. 

What about cyberspace neighborhoods?  Are they safe?  Do people really know whose moving in next door?  You don’t want people snooping around in your neighborhood and peeping through your windows.  And you don’t want inappropriate billboards on your street corner or unwanted guests knocking at your door.

So, why do millions of people live in online communities where sexual predators, con artists, and money-hungry schemers live next door?  Can online communities be made safer and more private?

Yes they can!  At Simon Solutions, we have decided to release our Oikos Community Console to the "general public."  Oikos was originally designed for ministries who want to harness the power of the internet without compromising the safety of its members.

People can now enjoy gathering with family and friends in their very own “online gated community” that’s personal, private; and most of all, safe and secure.

All the features of Oikos are available for each community: Personal Profile Pages, Shared Calendar, Media Sharing, Conversation Forums, Membership Directory, and Instant Messaging.  More exciting features are in development and will soon be available.

The benefits of using the internet to create your very own social network are limited only by imagination!

This entry was posted on Monday, March 19th, 2007 at 10:48 am and is filed under Family & Ministry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.