Web community

TNC, a Korea-based software company also known as Tatter and Company, has been Googled, according to Chang Won-Kim, TNC's cochief executive.

Chang announced Google's acquisition of TNC, which occurred Friday, in his personal blog.

Chang, who shares the CEO title with TNC's founder, Chester Roh, said he believes the reason for the acquisition is because Google has very little market presence in Korea and Asia.

"We will commit ourselves to increasing Google's market share in Korea," Chang wrote.

"Community" continues to be the buzzword for businesses looking for a meaningful online presence. Everywhere you look there's another company bragging about its online social network, either to embrace clients or consumers or even to unite employees. As membership in social networks such as Facebook and MySpace continues to grow, brand-sponsored apps that tap into some network somewhere, somehow, have become common. But vibrant, successful communities are difficult to design and implement.

From the basement of his house in San Francisco, Chris Lindland runs a successful specialty retail business that sells horizontal corduroy pants to customers across the country. Tim Carter turned years of hands-on experience as a building contractor in Ohio into a new career as Webmaster of "askthebuilder.com," a venture that in its first year netted him more than four times the income he earned in his best year as a builder.