<P> "Producing text within a discourse community," according to Patricia Bizzell, "cannot take place unless the writer can define her goals in terms of the community's interpretive conventions ." In other words, one cannot simply produce any text--it must fit the standards of the discourse community to which it is appealing . If one wants to become a member of a certain discourse community, it requires more than learning the lingo . It requires understanding concepts and expectations set up within that community . </P> <P> The language used by discourse communities can be described as a register or diatype, and members generally join a discourse community through training or personal persuasion . This is in contrast to the speech community (or the' native discourse community', to use Bizzell's term), who speak a language or dialect inherited by birth or adoption . </P> <P> One tool that is commonly used for designing a discourse community is a map . The map could provide the common goals, values, specialized vocabulary and specialized genre of the discourse community . This tool may be presented to all members as a mission statement . As a new generation of members enter into a discourse community, new interests may appear . What was originally mapped out may be recreated to accommodate any updated interests . The way in which a discourse community is designed, ultimately controls the way in which the community functions . A discourse community differs from any other type of grouping because the design will either constrain or enable participants . </P> <P> A discourse community can be viewed as a social network, built from participants who share some set of communicative purposes . In the digital age, social networks can be examined as their own branches of discourse communities . A genesis of online discourse is created through four phases: orientation, experimentation, productivity, and transformation . Just as the digital world is constantly evolving, "discourse communities continually define and redefine themselves through communications among members", according to Berkenkotter . A community of practice requires a group of people negotiating work and working toward a common goal using shared or common resources . These virtual discourse communities consist of a group of people brought together "by natural will and a set of shared ideas and ideals". The virtual discourse communities become a separate entity from any other discourse community when, "enough people carry on those public relationships long enough to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace". </P>

Groups that have goals or purposes and use communication to achieve these goals