It’s been a great first year for Community Signal, and it wouldn’t be possible without the support of listeners, subscribers, sponsors and those who share the show. Your time is limited and valuable, and you choose to spend it with Community Signal. I’m grateful.
I’d like to take a moment to wish you a happy holiday season and an incredible 2017 – for both you and your communities!
We are going to take a holiday break, and we’ll be back soon. See you then.
As community professionals, we get a zone when it comes to handling problems. We’re so used to fixing issues, that we can forget about outside resources that may be better suited for dealing with an issue than we are. Law enforcement is one of these.
Steve Brock has been working in community for over 25 years, with a unique depth of experience in moderation for big brands. He has had to work with law enforcement many times, and on this episode, Mr. Brock shares stories from those efforts. Plus:
Many online communities are ad-supported. Without that revenue, they may have to reduce their operations or cease to exist at all. Ad blocking is a serious threat, but what’s the best way respond to it?
Todd Garland is the founder and CEO of BuySellAds, an ad tech company that I’ve worked with for many years. He says the time to blame ad blockers is over, and that whining about ad blockers only guarantees a bad ending to this story. Plus:
This is not only episode #50 of the show, but December 7th marks one year since Community Signal launched! Thank you to everyone who has supported our program, including subscribers, our 50 guests, those who have shared it online, people who have rated it on iTunes, Stitcher or other platforms, those who have offered thoughtful feedback or kind words and our sponsors.
After managing MetaFilter for 16 years, founder Matt Haughey stepped away from the community in 2015, handing the day-to-day operations over to a long time staff member with a small, paid team.
More than a year and a half later, Matt stops by Community Signal to reflect on his decision and how it has impacted the community. The transition of power at MetaFilter is our focus on this episode, including what led Matt to realize that it was time for him to go. Plus:
As we talk about harassment and fake news online, we are often discussing what responsibility platforms have in the matter. What should they do? What shouldn’t they?
What does it mean to build an ethical platform? On this episode, with Marie Connelly of Vox Media’s product team, we talk about how algorithms aren’t a simple answer, why we should treat spam like we treat harassment and the cost of thoughtlessness. Plus:
Thank you for listening to Community Signal. Unfortunately, we are going to take a week off and we’ll be back next week. Sorry for the break. It was a difficult week to find a guest, and I’m sure that wasn’t helped by the elections in the U.S.
To that end, I had a thought I wanted to share with you, a thought I’ve shared before, but is once again relevant to where we are – not just in the United States, but in the world.
I truly believe that well-managed online communities represent the best, possibly last chance for enlightened, thoughtful political discourse on the web. A community with fair ground rules where people can participate on even footing and discuss the issues at hand – that’s what we can provide. Our colleagues in the news media space are doing this work, and many of us manage communities and spaces where this occurs. Discussion and conversation is one of the ways that we can bridge the gap.
When people talk about how civility is dead and how both sides are too extreme to talk to one another, that’s a problem we can help with. It’s a problem we’ve dealt with and, in many cases, solved in our own communities. These are skills that we can use to help our countries and the global community. This is an area where we can be a part of the solution.
Community is at the core of the existence of public libraries. They’re an important hub for local communities and, in turn, become a community of their own, where people learn and share.
Many libraries are safe, inclusive spaces where diversity is on display. If you are new to the area, or even to the country, libraries help you connect with your new community. If you are a member of a marginalized group, libraries can provide vital support. If you have a disability, libraries offer access to tools and services that improve your quality of life.
How do libraries create those spaces? That’s what I’m talking about with David Lee King, the digital services director at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, and a recognized leader in the use of emerging technology for libraries. Plus:
Continue reading “How Libraries Build Safe, Inclusive Community Spaces”
I recently spoke to a class at Syracuse about online community, and one of the students asked me what the two most important traits for a community professional were. I named empathy and attention to detail. The first one is the focus of this episode.
It’s hard to imagine a great community professional lacking empathy. And yet, it’s a skill that’s worth talking about, understanding and refining. Higher Logic community manager Lindsay Starke is passionate about empathy and the impact it can have on your community and your business. Plus:
Six years ago, multinational publishing and education company Pearson transitioned from siloed intranets to an internal online community named Neo. This platform has encouraged active collaboration between their global network of 36,000 employees, spread across more than 70 countries.
When you are talking about such a large, diverse group of employees, part of bringing them together is figuring how to to divide them, to ensure they are connecting with the right people and accomplishing their goals. Pearson community manager Dina Vekaria joins the show to break down these efforts, including:
I’m a big believer in knowing where you come from. Online community is not new. Our profession has existed since the 1980s. People came before us, and I believe that it’s important to understand, acknowledge and appreciate that. We should value and respect those who did the work before we did.
Any conversation about online community pioneers must involve today’s guest. Howard Rheingold was an early, active member of The WELL, the highly influential online community, founded in 1985. He is credited with coining the term, “virtual community,” and Mr. Rheingold’s experiences with online communities led him to author the book, The Virtual Community, published in 1993. His work has influenced generations of community builders. We discuss: