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How Do We Build Community?
Let Us Count the Ways (Version II)
by Paul "the soaring" Siegel
This is an expansion of the article of the same name that I posted previously.
At the beginning ('94, '95) there were few netizens and individuality reigned. But as more and more people got onto the Net it became more difficult for a lone website to be found. As a result, all sorts of combinations - business-to-business and business-to-consumer - were formed. At the same time, tools were developed to improve collaboration. Now, I think, we're starting to develop true communities.
REFERRAL SITES
- Portals - They were called directories and search engines before. Now they are portals. Where's the difference? They have forums for discussing a vast array of subjects. Much of the growth of AOL is usually attributed to its many chat rooms.
- Hubs - They started out as niche directories. You visited them to get information about a specific field or industry. But they have developed into hubs, which bring buyers and sellers together. A good example is Chemdex.
BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS
- Exchanges - We started with referrals and then banner exchanges. These banner exchanges, at the beginning, had elements of community: you could get banners created free, and there was an interchange of banners among sites. Banners seem to have lost their luster, probably because it turned into "strictly business."
- Affiliates - Another potential community builder. Here you have other business people selling your products on their sites for commission. I don't think it's potential has beeen fully realized. Today, in the vast majority of affiliate programs, only the companies that run them make money. The reason: affiliates have a limited voice.
- Joint Venture - This is becoming more prevalent. You see sites announcing new technology and asking for partners. They are seeking to build a community.
E-COMMERCE
- Malls - In the early days, we had lots of malls. But they did not develop. The entrepreneurs thought of these malls as a means of attracting businesses and offering them services. They did not realize they had a great opportunity to develop community. Maybe someone will get the idea today.
- Collaborative Filtering - Technology has been developed that allows people to indicate their likes and dislikes about movies (for instance). All this data is accumulated and analyzed. The next time you come to the site, it will tell you which movie you would enjoy. Epinions does this for products and services. Would the service be better if the people could talk to each other?
COMMUNITY-BUILDING TOOLS
- Newsletters - A newsletter is a one-way street. But you can increase community by adding a Question/Answer section to get your readers more involved. Nancy Roebke does this very well in her newsletter Network Ink.
- Forums - Many informational sites have set up forums. Visitors come and comment on what others have written. In many cases, the degree of community is small because some writers don't even give their correct names.
- Lists - Mailing lists are easier on everybody. You get reading material in the mail. You comment via email at your leisure.
- Chat - Here you gather at the site at a scheduled time to discuss, together with an invited guest, a specfic subject.
- Voice Chat - The trouble with today's chat is that you must think and type at the same time. But voice chat is here.
COMMUNITY BUILDING
We're finally getting onto the right track for building community.
- Catalysts - A new type of website has arrived, as exemplified by Vicinities. They offer a service which allows anyone to build any kind of community on the vicinities site.
- Networks - Several sites have gotten together and formed a network, A good example is Clickz. Of course, there is the network that Fred Smart is building, to get agents around the Globe working together to develop an array of website services.
- Cooperative Business Bookstore - This was hatched at my mailing list, LearningFOUNT, by Dee Power. Authors working together for their mutual benefit. Pay the Store a visit.
- Linux Community - A group of programmers all over the world have worked together to develop a powerful operating system, which is so good, it's threatening Microsoft's operating system!
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