Comments on: Truths About Building Community

By: Mandy Vavrinak

Mandy Vavrinak — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:17:15 +0000

Yes… I loved the community discussion on #blogchat. I’d actually written and posted this post several days before, so it was a nice convergence of timing to then be part of the whole blogchat bunch discussing the ideas of community. I always learn from those chats :)

And I agree that having a point of view is key… you will not please everyone and if that is your goal you’re done before you’ve started.

By: Suzanne Vara

Suzanne Vara — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:53:09 +0000

Mandy

This was discussed on sunday on #blogchat and a great discussion was had. A community is starts with a leader however through that comes new leaders with conversation. It evolves.

Reality is that not everyone is going to love or find value in what you post on a blog but when you have good one the community engages

By: Mandy Vavrinak

Mandy Vavrinak — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:42:48 +0000

I have read Seth’s post.. and I think the whole field of communication/relationship metrics is evolving as old, established (and true) theories are applied to a newer way of communication. Does the relationship limit still apply in a more connected world? Do we need to redefine what constitutes a “relationship?” I’m not sure, but I lean toward “Yes!” because technology can augment our brains… in the old days, we could only effectively relate to the number of people we could keep in our brains… who they were, where they worked, what they did/knew/said. Now, those details don’t have to be remembered… they can be digitally accessed. I think this means we can relate effectively to more people in more ways, provided the technological support doesn’t disappear to do so.

By: Laura Walsh

Laura Walsh — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:51:34 +0000

Mandy,

This is so true. Online communities dependent on the individual contributions of the community’s moderator or “owner” are not sustainable, scalable or salable in the eyes of a VC or other potential buyer.

(Reminds me of a company I knew whose intellectual capital and products were dependent on the ongoing micro-management of its founder and CTO.)

Does Dunbar’s number apply here?

Seth Godin wrote about it recently. You can find the post at: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/10/the-penalty-for-violating-dunbars-law.html

It would be fascinating research for someone to explore in more depth what the tipping point is (or tipping points are) for a community to be considered active and sustainable.

Thanks for writing about it.

By: Mandy Vavrinak

Mandy Vavrinak — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:06:05 +0000

I think your analogy about specificity in a key word search is spot-on, Mike. Knowing why the community exists (building with a purpose from the beginning… and a purpose that matters to the participants, not just to the organizer!) is key to longevity and value.

By: mike mancino

mike mancino — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:22:19 +0000

the concept is comparable to a key word search. without a narrowed down search, your results will be great in number but lack specificity. Without a well-directed community, your community will grow in members, but the impact the community has for the members will be minimal. A well built community with specific goals, purposes, and targets will reap a greater turnout as far as impact for members.

By: Building Community | Social Media Mastermind Tulsa

Building Community | Social Media Mastermind Tulsa — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:43:09 +0000

[...] do it. And I believe he’s right about a few key points, shared above and explained in detail in this post. Bottom line? Know why you’re building a community, regardless of the venue. Have a clear purpose [...]