Requirements Analysis for Community Supporting Platforms Based on the Media Reference Model

One new paradigm of the information age is the phenomenon of online communities. Online communities are associations of agents, which are connected by an electronic medium, share a common language, world and values as well as pursue common interests. The elements that constitute virtual communities are the association of agents and the enabling electronic medium. Between the two elements there is a close interrelationship - the medium shapes with its functionality the communication patterns of the community. Despite this interrelationship, little attention has been paid to the development of appropriate media for communities. This paper tries to contribute to fill this gap by providing a checklist for requirements for analysis for community supporting platforms based on the media reference model.