Ratings rising for talk show hosts on Internet

Ø 1) Before reading the text answer the following questions:

a) How much time do you spend in the Internet?

b) What do you use the Internet for?

c) Would you like to be a “forum leader? ”

Ø 2) Read the heading and the words from the text and say what this text is about: online communities of the Internet, the virtual community, online users, post messages, a group of individuals sharing their interests, live chat areas, bulletin boards, discuss hobbies or other interests, the Internet life style.

High-tech companies, more accustomed to poaching wars for computer program­mers, have entered into competition for a new gener­ation of stars: the “forum leaders” who stimulate dis­cussion in the online com­munities of the Internet.

The latest round came yes­terday with the announce­ment that three popular forum managers from Com­puServe, the online service being acquired by America Online, have defected to Microsoft Network, a service owned by the Seattle soft­ware company.

These forums take advan­tage of one of the most innovative and successful fea­tures of the Internet: the vir­tual community, in which online users can post mes­sages, not one-to-one as with electronic mail, but to a group of other individuals sharing their interest.

The departing Compu­Serve stars, together with two who switched last week, will manage live chat areas and bulletin boards on MSN devoted to subjects such as computers, education, and recreation - as well as astrology, new-age mind and body, and new-age spiritual­ity.

The appointments under­line the growing importance to the Internet industry of online communities, the chat rooms and online bulletin boards frequented by an estimated 30 per cent of Internet users, on which they can discuss their hob­bies or other interests.

They also represent the transformation of the role of the forum leader - formerly undertaken by hobbyists - into a fully-fledged profes­sion commanding a salary of $100, 000 in some cases.

“Forums are really starting to become part of the Internet lifestyle, ” said Jessica Ostrow, MSN group product manager. “And forum leaders are the cor­nerstone of communities. They are definitely celebri­ties in their own categories. It is something that you can make a career out of.”

Ø 3) Read the text and put the provided statements in the proper order:

a) forum leaders are the cornerstone of communities,

b) forum leaders stimulate discussion in the online communities of the Internet,

c) the forums take advantage of the virtual community of the Internet,

d) the role of the forum leader is being transformed from a hobbyist to a professional,

e) the subjects to be discussed online in virtual communities include computers, education, recreation, astrology, new-age mind and body, and new-age spirituality.