Online communities serve a similar purpose as offline groups, networks and communities by providing opportunities for:

• Information sharing and learning
• Companionship and social support
• Entertainment
• Remote work

They can also generate benefits for people outside the community, such as public goods like:

• Open-source software
• Product reviews
• Encyclopedia pages

A private goods like:

• Suggestions for product improvements
• New product designs

for the organization that created the community.