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Hi Jennifer,

 I think online student organizations can be a good idea - networking never hurt anyone, right? In a way, I think that my experiences as a on-campus student influences the way I perceive online learning. I didn't have your classic "college experience." I spent the first few years of university at Georgia State University, a commuter school in downtown Atlanta. At the time, GSU didn't have any student housing; most of my classmates were scattered across the metro Atlanta area, working part/full-time and/or living at home. I met some cool people, but a lot of times they lived over an hour away from me and we both worked, so it was hard to hook up. 

I moved to Seattle and finished my degree at the University of Washington. I was working full-time as a waiter and living with my girlfriend and going to school part-time - again, not the typical college experience. To me, school was one of many things I did, my main priority but still only a means to an end; the upside of this sob story is I paid my way through school and graduated with only $1700 in loans that I paid off within three months of graduation (thus not paying 1 cent of interest - thanks for the free loan, Uncle Sam )

What I'm saying is that it depends on the individual. My lack of enthusiasm about online communities can probably be traced to my undergraduate f2f experiences. I think it is possible to create a larger sense of community - it just depends upon the individuals.

Ken