What is a "community"? The definition of "community"🍻
Recently I came across some people on Twitter and other places. We were talking about community building related topics. I discover that people outside of community building space have some very different definitions of "community".
I asked them where did they get their definitions from. They gave me some sources. I was blown away. Many authors tents to make this simple concept of community super complicated. I guess that's just what university professors do, make things complicated so they can charge you money and make you think they are smart.🙄 (of course, not all of them)
Community is simple. Here is how I understand it as a community builder. A community is a group of people, more than 1 person, interacting. That is it.🌞
Don't limit yourself to the definition of community. A college club is a community. A boardgame shop has a group of constant customers is a community, a city is a community, an online forum like Indie hacker is a community, just you and I talking is a community.😌
You can have a community on anything. You can build a community around your product. You can build a community around a problem space. As a community builder, your job is to get people together and lead them to interact.👶👧🏻🧒🏼👨🦱🧑🦱👩🏻🦱👨🏽
Of course, there are a lot of skills that go into community building, but the definition of "community" is simple and clear.💫
Yeah, I'm always a bit meh when I come across complicated descriptions.
The only thing I'd add to your description and what @wardsandler says is that there needs to be a theme, direction, vision to focus in on, otherwise it's just won't work.
Hey Rosie, thx for stopping by haha. I agree. When ppl r interacting, they are basically interaction on the theme. But I don’t know if they need a vision to have a community. They need vision to build a good community. Without it they will probably have a not so great community.
Correct me if I’m wrong, really wanna learn hahah. I love ur work here on IH.
I highly recommend reading resources outside of the "industry" of community building (which is more opinion than definition, let alone useful design patterns). Soak up some of the well documented research. 😉
My book list has a bunch of suggestions but I would start with "The structure of belonging" by Peter Block.
nice website haha, very organized, will check it out!
In my mind a healthy ideal community includes people interacting with each other in a positive and/or constructive way that benefits multiple people in the community.
I think maintaining and cultivating this type of culture for your community is essential and has to be considered from day 1.
Yes, that is very true. Your early-stage members play a critical role in it. IH has done a great job on this.
But a lot of ppl don't even understand what community is. There are good and bad communities. but that's quite a different matter.