	This particular virtual information community warrants consideration because of its unique formation and medium. In the past, virtual information communities have taken the form of online discussion boards, question and answer websites such as Yahoo! Answers, or even in the form of mailing lists. The Facebook group medium has not been fully explored by many researchers and it allows for unique discovery because of its defining characters. Not only do community members have to be Facebook users but they must also be accepted into the closed group. Only members can access what goes on within this information community. There is also a definite distinction of power between certain members of the Titusville, FL group. 
	In this paper, I will first start by discussing the major scholarly research related to the topic of virtual information communities. Then, I will explain the methodology behind this research and will end with a discussion and conclusion about the major findings. 
	Because there has been little research done on this particular type of virtual information community, pieces of research must be strung together from the various facets of this community. Generally, the three major areas of scholarly exploration in this matter are that of virtual communities, knowledge sharing, and social question and answer (SQA). Together, these three concepts work to paint an accurate picture of this information community. 	
	The idea of the virtual community is one that is important to this information community. Preece and Maloney-Krichmar analyzed several themes that emerge in the scholarship of information communities. It was found that the physical location of a group does not necessarily constitute a community. Instead, “the strength and nature of relationships between individuals” is an important characteristic for considering a group to be a community. Additionally, it has been found that the Internet has become a democratizing platform for information and therefore “information seekers who are more likely to appreciate dependable, prompt, personalized, and professional services would be more likely to form affinity with virtual communities”. Furthermore, it has been determined that what makes a virtual community successful is the participation of all involved parties—a facet that will “accumulate knowledge and make it reusable by others, which in turn will attract both returning and new users”.
	Knowledge sharing is another concept essential to the Titusville, FL information community. It has been found that there are three motivations for people to share knowledge: loss of knowledge power, an enhancement in one’s reputation, and the enjoyment that is experienced by helping others. These three motivations are evident within such virtual information communities. The environment of the virtual information community has an impact on knowledge sharing, as well. Zhou et. al. found that in virtual communities the fundamental and supplemental interactions have an effect on the knowledge sharing behaviors of individuals within the information community. Outside-world interactions do play a part in the knowledge sharing in which members participate. Lin and Huang assert that there are rewards at play in the sharing of knowledge in virtual communities. In each community, though, “different reward systems fit different people”. Finally, research in knowledge sharing has shown several forces working behind the act: utilitarian motivation, hedonic motivation, control belief, and contextual force. Furthermore, “different types of virtual community may have different motivations”.
