Abstract

The unprecedented technological development in the communication field has brought about major changes in understanding ourselves and others. The former reference points of our localities have been reconfigured by the impact of the Internet as a catalyst factor of global interaction. In this perspective, every act of communication in the contemporary society implies the existence of a worldwide potentiality and may be seen as an unique opportunity to surpass differences by sharing similar views, feelings, attitudes etc. The paper is intended to propose a theoretical framework for understanding the roots and expressions of similarity in virtual communities. The question is how can individuals from different corners of the world discuss shared interests (communities of interest), develop strong social relations (communities of relationships) and explore new identities (communities of fantasy) at a global scale. The central objective of the paper is to discuss whether a virtual community may become the proper medium for recognizing others as similar to us, beyond local, national or regional constraints.