29/10/06

ALA on Community

Fantastic ALA [A List Apart] post on what happens when you want to build a community on your site - but no-one wants to come?

Before you create a forum, you should ask yourself a series of questions: Why would people join your community? Does your existing site attract a decent amount of traffic? Do other established forums exist that aim to attract your target user base? Do you have a niche audience in mind, or is your planned forum subject too broad to compete against other communities? How will a forum add to your current website? You may find that you have more homework to do—or that there’s probably not enough interest to make a new forum worth your while.

If you decide that you are ready to get started, keep in mind that online communities are quite a bit like college parties—you’re inviting a bunch of people you don’t know into your house, and that poses a series of challenges. If you don’t get the word out, you may be the only one there. If you’re not properly organized, your guests will leave before they’ve even introduced themselves. If you don’t .

How to be a great host

Posted by Peter Collingridge in Publishing, Web.