vsbabu.org

Building online communities

O'Reilly Net: “The Internet exists to improve communication. Communities can grow anywhere communication occurs. ”

Good article. Pretty much summarizes the things you need to keep in mind to build an on-line community.

• Exist for a reason.
• Users draw other users.
• Users will surprise you.
• Sense of ownership.
• Shared history and culture.
• The bell curves.
• Barriers are mixed blessings.
• Mischief.
• Discuss the community openly.
• Don’t stop there.

The specifics might differ, but these points are true for any community, on-line or off-line. If you are a project leader, all these should make sense immediately.