Networks of individuals who share a common interest in a topic.

are onli ne communities of people who share a common personal interest or hobby.

Geographical areas, such as neighborhoods of a city or regions of a state, where the residents have common political interests that do not necessarily coincide with the boundaries of a political subdivision, such as a city or county.

A grouping of users with a common interest who generate a majority of their communication with other members of the group. Each group (or community) is assumed to operate under a set of rules (membership rules) set by its convenor or moderator.

Groups wheree members have common needs or characteristics (such as ethnic origin, disability, interest in open source software) as opposed to geographical communities (communities of place).

Groups of users who share common interests or needs can form online "communities of interest." Examples include education facilities which need to share resources online; residents in a region who are looking to extend network services into their homes and businesses; or regional economic development bodies which want to share information/ideas.