Designing an Online Community

Before thinking about designing an online community, we must first understand what it is. How different is your understanding of online communities as compared to face-to-face ones? Is there even a difference? After some a simple search, here it was I found.

For me it has both changed significantly, and not at all. Yes, an online community changes our thinking of social interactions. Many of us grew up with our parents explaining what proper etiquette at a social gathering should be like. An online community has also rendered trivial, concepts such as age, gender, ethnicity. We do not even need to be in the same geographic location or time zone. So yes, based on these physical attributes, the definition of a community has changed. However, in his sharing of what an online community is, Mark Wills shared four things that now define it - (a) Longevity, (b) shared values, (c) Community Management, and (d) Trust.

Longevity. He suggests that members who have been in the community a long time help set the rules and values, and help ingratiate new comers into the community. These long-time members are the core of the community and are experts in the domain.

Shared Values. Wills also explains how that anyone that wants to remain as a member must adhere to a set of rules. All membership stem from common interests and joint enterprise. In an online community, this usually manifests itself as "Terms of Use".

Community Management.  While traditional communities have multiple ways to enforce rules and regulations, the online community have moderators that help police the site. They ensure that all members adhere to the terms of use.

Trust. This stems from common courtesy and respect.

So, even in Mark Wills' explanation of online communities and what defines them, the principles have not changed to much from a face-to-face community. Think about any school community that you have been apart of, you have seniors (or insiders) that have established relationships and wealth of knowledge about how the community functions. There are rules and shared values that the community or club stands for. While they may not have police, there is still a governing structure and often a hierarchy that helps manage the community. And finally, trust always needs to be established so as to allow people to have open conversations, and provide honest opinions.

Josh, out