The number of users listing this diary as one of their favourites has just gone down by one. I wasn't surprised.

Silver's diary has just come to an abrupt end. All that is left on her site is an angry entry in her guestbook from her husband.

I suspect he has right to be angry. Her diary was not the source of their problems, but it was the means by which those came to light. And so, in his anger and pain, he lashes out at this "community."

Are we a "community"?

Certainly not by the old ecological definition. We're not of different species (although some may argue that), and we're not in one place. So the simple answer is "No."

But what of a human community? Communities in this case are groups of people who function together in different roles to support their existence, and each other.

Do we do that? Here in this assemblage of on-line journalists?

Yes, we give moral support. An encouraging word when it can be most needed. And advice, often unsolicited, and probably kind of naive. We give each other laughs, and tears. And sometimes confirmation.

But does that make us a community?

Silver and Ahriman are going through an extremely difficult time in their lives. Where hard, possibly permanent, decisions have to be made.

And we're not part of that. Nor should we be. We have been merely peeping toms into their lives, looking through only one, limited peephole. That gives us no right to comment or judge on how they decide their futures.

What we may lack is the need to stay committed. In real communities, most members work for the better good because they all hope to enjoy it. Real communities have to build utilities to support themselves. We do that (or Andrew and the others who support themselves and those "other" diary sites, do).

And real communities establish rules for conduct. Andrew does that here, in a growing process, and I assume Diary-X, LiveJournal and others do the same. Not sure about you independants. Are you the hardy folks who live out in the country, supplying your own water, power and emergency services? Just visiting friends in town upon occassion?

A fun analogy, by the way. Wish I had time to play with it.

And wish I had time to really think out what I'm trying to say here.

Just that I'm concerned about an on-line friend. And have no way to help. And realize it is probably proper that I don't, since I don't have a "vested" interest in her real life. But that doesn't mean I don't care.

And I still wonder:

Are we a community?