The South Australian Common Knowledge Community

Abstract

Online communities can have useful international dimensions because of the very nature of the World Wide Web’s networking capabilities. However, while developing our South Australian community services and practice requirements, we have found a definite tendency in people that they “like and stay with their own kind.” Much of the literature examining the uptake of ICT in community has found that local content is a vital issue. Why? It has been widely demonstrated that local Web sites developed locally provide ownership where an international or national Web site often fails. Another key success factor in the local use of Web sites (in fact, any Web site) has been found to align with whether the development was born from “a need” within the community, i.e., the community has the need and requirements and then provides input, takes ownership of output, etc.