"Group" vs. "community" usage?

Question

###Question 1When we have a certain number of people that share the same interest, do we refer to **them** as:1. interest **group** or2. **community** [sharing same interest]?What would be preferred and more correct? Maybe there's a third option that would be even more appropriate for this context?###Question 2The word *group* by itself can be associated with anything — people, things, etc. *Community*, on the other hand (as far as I know), is generally associated with people, right?###Question 3When we use the term *group*, does it already imply a certain size or not? Is the word *group* used more frequently with smaller numbers or can a group's size be any number larger than two?

Answer 1

In your situation, I think the word "group" would fit best.

Yes, "group" refers to a small number of people. In sociology, "group" is defined as three or more people that see each other regularly and interact with each other regularly.

A "community" is larger in numbers, and it can be spread out across long distances. And, unlike a group, members of a community can not necessarily know each other or interact with each other.

How well does that answer your questions? If it does, then please check out my profile to see if I can help you with any other things.

Thanks,

Patrick