The World Wide Web allows people of like minds to come together and share thoughts and ideas about many subjects. We can do this through traditional mailing lists, news groups, and Web-based forum communities. Some social media sites (including many blogs) also allow people to share their comments through non-traditional group discussions. We can call these 1st generation and 2nd generation online discussion communities. The next generation may consist of discussion technologies most people don’t yet use.

In science fiction and fantasy fandom you’ll find many dedicated Web forum communities where fans divide themselves according to their favorite topics. For example, on a general-purpose SF fan forum site you may find one or more Tolkien forum groups where people talk about the books J.R.R. Tolkien wrote or movies based on those books. Tolkien fans can be very faithful to the topics they love, reviving old discussions years after they were first started. One famous discussion that made its way across the Web was a silly thread about finding the Ent-wives, a mysterious race of fantasy creatures who are only mentioned in The Lord of the Rings.

Tolkien fan sites like this one may not be very sophisticated but they allow readers of the books to share their passions and interests. These kinds of fans may eventually join some of the Web forums and become respected members of their communities. Some of the oldest Tolkien forum sites have been visited by numerous scholars, film crew members, and producers through the years. Fans every now and then get a chance to interact with some of their favorite actors and writers.

The next time you visit a Web forum, don’t just browse the discussions. Give some thought to joining in. Sharing your own points of view will be appreciated and you may be warmly welcomed.