Brian butler Vircomm14 - 'What really works in online communities? Beyond the Hype

What Really Works In Communities? Beyond The Hype

Brian Butler (@bsbutlerUMD)University of Maryland

A Brief History of Online Communities Research

But…

Building thriving, sustainable, high-impact online communities remains difficult.

The Nature of Online Community Construction

The Nature of OC Construction: Shearing Layers

Communities & Networks

Communities are not networks

You want me to do what?!?

Online participation is a public activity

1. Speaking before a Group

2. Heights3. Insects and bugs4. Financial problems5. Deep water6. Sickness7. Death8. Flying9. Loneliness10.Dog

Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime…

But Boundaries Matter

Creating Rules and Policies…

…to Support Engagement and Adaptation

Are Community Participants Born or Made?

Solving the Right Design Problem

Mixing Logics (for Fun and Profit?)

A Few Things Academics Don’t Know about Online Communities

Metrics for community ecology health

Models of multi-community engagement

Refactoring/restructuring subgroups Strategies for creating portfolios of

motivations

Questions?

Brian Butlerbsbutler@umd.edu

@bsbutlerUMD

University of Maryland, iSchool

Center for the Advanced Study of Communities and Information (CASCI)

(http://casci.umd.edu/)

Masters of Information Management(http://mim.umd.edu/)