|
|
Internet
as Community Builder
By: Richard Munn
As most regular visitors to this site know, on the weekend of
July 21-23, 2000 a number of paddlers converged on Gooseneck Bay
in Massassauga Provincial Park for an informal get-together that
has come to be known as "the gathering."
On Sunday, as we were heading out of Gooseneck Bay towards our
homes, Jon, a member of the group paddled up beside me. He
remarked that the Internet normally has a reputation for either
fostering only solitary activities, or even at times causing
damage to relationships. He pointed out that in this case, it
appeared to have done the opposite.
The popular press seems to delight in publishing tragic stories
about the Internet. We read Anne Landers columns telling of men
and women leaving their spouses for strangers they have met
online. We hear about children lured into dangerous situations
by pedophiles posing as teenagers in chat rooms. We are warned
that our children are getting physically and socially weaker
because they spend all of their time staring at online games on
their computers. Sometimes it seems that that the Internet has
no redeeming qualities.
I was gratified to hear the sentiment that was expressed by Jon.
I have always believed that the Internet is a communication tool
- nothing more, nothing less. It is simply a medium we use to
distribute information to a large number of users who may be
spread out over a very wide geographical area. The information
we share can be good, or it can be bad. It can be destructive to
relationships, or it can enhance and foster a sense of
community. I firmly believe that it can be a facilitator in the
development of community, and in the case of this event, it did
just that. The consensus was that it was a positive experience
for everyone involved.
Although "the gathering" was a small event, I believe
it was significant.
Part of the significance comes from the fact that it was
group-initiated. I take no credit at all that this event took
place. This site was never directly involved in the planning,
nor was it a sponsor of the gathering. The planning was a
spontaneous, cooperative venture amongst a diverse group of
paddlers. I have no plans to initiate or organize a future
event. Another gathering (or series of gatherings across Canada)
will only take place if paddlers want them. In spite of this, I
have little doubt that next spring, people will begin to plan
for a second get-together.
Over the course of two days, 12 canoes appeared at the mouth of
the Gooseneck and paddled toward the block of sites we had
reserved. From these canoes, 22 people ranging in age from 4 to
60 emerged and introduced themselves. For two days we compared
canoes and equipment, swam, ate meals together, shared stories
and advice, told jokes and got to know each other just a little
better.
For over five years, the masthead at the top of each page on our
site has always contained one important phrase that summarizes
what I want the site to be "a meeting place for
wilderness paddlers." I believe that if you give a group
with similar interests a place to join together, community will
build from there. Although a tiny first step, this event has
shown me that this can indeed take place
|
|
|
