Internet and Online Communities (Tut 6)

Silverfish Longboarding- The longboarding skateboarding community


The group connects international longboarders via a public forum. The aim of the community is to allow a forum for all members to view and post tips/resources and information about longboarding.

Silverfish Longboarding Community provides news, updates and information about longboarding to all those internationally interested. It only requires a simple online sign up to become a member to view and add to the website. The are many different sub-forums in the community including tips on buying a longboard, recommended brands, reviews of videos etc.

There are many benefits of online communities, no exception with Silverfish longboarding. When members join they are seeking others that share the same interest of longboarding and the information/tips/advice and general discussion they provide. With Silverfish there is large amounts of information found in one place and are easy to view and to add to.


Term Definition
Baltic Birch
Baltic Birch is a plywood made from solid birch hardwood, typically from Eastern Europe. It is popular with furniture builders for its high strength, ease of manufacturing, and attractive faces. Deck builders like it for the same reason. Baltic Birch plywood comes in various thicknesses, made from thin plies.



This is from the glossary part of the communtiy where terms related to longboarding are defined.

Silverfish Longboarding retrived 5.30pm June 5.


The ethical issues arising from this online community, surround the way in which the community is monitored. Although there is general monitoring, there are large amounts of forums and posting.The site relies on members to complain if others are abusing or posting inappropriate comments.
When signing up to Silverfish, like most other online communities you are required to supply some personal information. When posting onto forums members are posting part of their identities, and anywhere on the internet, this can be dangerous.

The traditional definition of a commuity describes it as being people joined by close proximity. The internet and use of online communities challenges this definition. Communties can now involve members separted by global miles. In Silverfish longboarding, although members are international they are brought together for their same interest via an online forum.

The information age we live in has revolutionalised we make contact with those we share interests with. However there are downfalls to social interaction through a computer. For example, Silverfish provides its members with many descriptions of how to learn new longboarding tricks and sometimes provides video instructions. However with online communities there still remains a digitial devide between teacher and learner, not always the best of way learning. The online community also lacks validity of the information that is provided.