Post: What defines a good community?
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02-13-2012, 10:44 PM
#1
schaffinosx
To and fro the island.
Over the past several years, forums have been a big part of my life. It's somewhat embarrassing, really. I used to spend hours upon hours each day on sites like these, and suffice it to say I've been a member of a ton of forums. There are several different kinds of communities out there, each with their own hierarchy, own style of enforcement, and different types and means of distributing content. Some have professional, paid writers, and others have volunteers. Some have community managers, while others do not.
Some prefer utter simplicity, having only one or two main forums. Some, like NGU, have a plethora of forums, splitting and organizing discussion down to its core. Some online communities have massive staffs, while others, even those with large numbers, have a small, effective staff.
None of these methods of running and operating a site are inherently bad, but is there a best way? That's what I want to discuss.
To start, here is my idea of the 'perfect' community:
The perfect community is a smaller one, with a vast, diverse community of people who genuinely want to hold thoughtful discussions. The rules of this website would be short, concise, and to the point. There wouldn't be an abundance of them, but they would be upheld and enforced consistently, and each member would be treated equally. A member who joined in 2005, who contributed tons to the forum, would face the same consequences as a member who joined only a month ago. This is because all members, especially older ones, should be aware of the rules in place and the expectations of the staff.
That brings us to the staff. The staff on the ideal site, in my opinion, would be somewhat small, and would consist primarily of few administrators, and a small, veteran moderating team. There would be a 'Junior Moderator' status similar to the Sectional Moderator status we have here, to ensure that any member who has been selected for the staff has a chance to demonstrate his or her ability to be an effective staff member. Those who didn't meet the high standards of the staff would be removed from the staff altogether.
This is just a bit of my idea as to what the best community would look like. I look forward to hearing more of what you guys think.
02-16-2012, 04:00 AM
#2
El Violador
< ^ > < ^ >
02-18-2012, 01:17 AM
#3
Hitman
?
Originally posted by SchaffinOSX
Before you post your thoughts, take a moment to read what this discussion is all about.
Over the past several years, forums have been a big part of my life. It's somewhat embarrassing, really. I used to spend hours upon hours each day on sites like these, and suffice it to say I've been a member of a ton of forums. There are several different kinds of communities out there, each with their own hierarchy, own style of enforcement, and different types and means of distributing content. Some have professional, paid writers, and others have volunteers. Some have community managers, while others do not.
Some prefer utter simplicity, having only one or two main forums. Some, like NGU, have a plethora of forums, splitting and organizing discussion down to its core. Some online communities have massive staffs, while others, even those with large numbers, have a small, effective staff.
None of these methods of running and operating a site are inherently bad, but is there a best way? That's what I want to discuss.
To start, here is my idea of the 'perfect' community:
The perfect community is a smaller one, with a vast, diverse community of people who genuinely want to hold thoughtful discussions. The rules of this website would be short, concise, and to the point. There wouldn't be an abundance of them, but they would be upheld and enforced consistently, and each member would be treated equally. A member who joined in 2005, who contributed tons to the forum, would face the same consequences as a member who joined only a month ago. This is because all members, especially older ones, should be aware of the rules in place and the expectations of the staff.
That brings us to the staff. The staff on the ideal site, in my opinion, would be somewhat small, and would consist primarily of few administrators, and a small, veteran moderating team. There would be a 'Junior Moderator' status similar to the Sectional Moderator status we have here, to ensure that any member who has been selected for the staff has a chance to demonstrate his or her ability to be an effective staff member. Those who didn't meet the high standards of the staff would be removed from the staff altogether.
This is just a bit of my idea as to what the best community would look like. I look forward to hearing more of what you guys think.
Over the past several years, forums have been a big part of my life. It's somewhat embarrassing, really. I used to spend hours upon hours each day on sites like these, and suffice it to say I've been a member of a ton of forums. There are several different kinds of communities out there, each with their own hierarchy, own style of enforcement, and different types and means of distributing content. Some have professional, paid writers, and others have volunteers. Some have community managers, while others do not.
Some prefer utter simplicity, having only one or two main forums. Some, like NGU, have a plethora of forums, splitting and organizing discussion down to its core. Some online communities have massive staffs, while others, even those with large numbers, have a small, effective staff.
None of these methods of running and operating a site are inherently bad, but is there a best way? That's what I want to discuss.
To start, here is my idea of the 'perfect' community:
The perfect community is a smaller one, with a vast, diverse community of people who genuinely want to hold thoughtful discussions. The rules of this website would be short, concise, and to the point. There wouldn't be an abundance of them, but they would be upheld and enforced consistently, and each member would be treated equally. A member who joined in 2005, who contributed tons to the forum, would face the same consequences as a member who joined only a month ago. This is because all members, especially older ones, should be aware of the rules in place and the expectations of the staff.
That brings us to the staff. The staff on the ideal site, in my opinion, would be somewhat small, and would consist primarily of few administrators, and a small, veteran moderating team. There would be a 'Junior Moderator' status similar to the Sectional Moderator status we have here, to ensure that any member who has been selected for the staff has a chance to demonstrate his or her ability to be an effective staff member. Those who didn't meet the high standards of the staff would be removed from the staff altogether.
This is just a bit of my idea as to what the best community would look like. I look forward to hearing more of what you guys think.
I couldn't agree more with your 'perfect' community. Especially the part about staff. I feel this site would be much more efficient and effective if there was less staff, who were better at their job. There would aso be much less contradictions between the decisions they make.
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