False community is the illusion of community without taking shared risks and so being subject to the same constraints, and pressures to agree. Some claim that the risk has to be physical, to the body, not just reputations or ideals. Others claim that it's enough to risk wasting precious time. Either way, it's a risk to become involved in something that claims to be a community, but is not one at all. False community is a form of false consciousness.

False community is basically an economic concept. It could be considered a question of democratic socialism versus capitalism. Users are allowed to cast their votes without making any contribution in money. However, they are required to make an investment in time, much as in democratic socialism, people must make the investment of time to go to the polls.