by Lynette Alice

Created on: November 07, 2008   Last Updated: January 19, 2009

While there are dozens of online communities that tout their site as geared for the transsexual person very few actually deliver on that claim. When considering what makes for a good online community for the transsexual person many of the same criteria can be used to gauge this as would be used for any online community. The number of members plays a role although it is not the ultimate measuring stick. What is most important is the interaction of the members, the level of comfort and annonymity if desired that is offered to memebers, and the quality of information more so that the quantity. In this article a brief overview of the best sites will be offered explaining the good and bad as is necessary in an objective manner so you the user can decide which best fits your particular needs.

It is important to remember an online community is one which allow the members to interact with one another, it is not merely a site which offers information or photos. The following sites will not be presented in any particular order which reflects their quality nor will they be directly ranked or rated against each other. With that in mind the first site to be looked at is Transgender Support site (http://www.heartcorps.com/journeys/ which bills itself as the first trans support site on the web. While it is the oldest and offers some good information interaction among visitors is basically limited to the message boards. It is not terribly active which is a minus, however it does offer several good pieces of information for MTF transsexuals just beginning their transition period. If you desire a low level of community interaction and believe you will only use the boards to ask an occassional question this site may suit your needs, otherwise you will find it is lacking. There isn't much here for significant others or family of transpeople, but for what it is, it is good. The best advice to keep in mind when visiting this communuty is to keep your expectations reasonable and make the best use of what is offered. It may not be much bit it is of value.

Laura's Playground (http://www.laurasplayground.com founded by Laura Amato has been a presence on the web for several years and has grown from a fledgling community to a site of massive proportions. While many sites have come and gone lauras playground has withstood the test of time. Here you will find nearly everything you would want in an online community. The membership process does employ a verification of identity to help minimize

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