Patrick O’Keefe is the founder of the iFroggy Network, a network of websites covering various interests. He’s been managing online communities since 2000 and currently runs KarateForums.com, phpBBHacks.com, PhotoshopForums.com and other sites and blogs about community management at ManagingCommunities.com. He authored the book “Managing Online Forums,” a practical guide to managing online forums, communities and social spaces.

Q1: You run a network of independent communities. How has the economy affected the business of running these communities? What lessons have you learned? Has the economy had an effect on participation?

The economy has affected most businesses in a negative way, and online communities are no exception. Generally speaking, since most revenue is generating through advertising and advertising has been hit hard, it has been difficult. But, you can only do what you can do, work hard and find a way. I don’t know if I’ve learned anything in particular: at the end of the day, when the economy is bad, most everyone is going to be worse off. You just have to experiment, try new things and see what works. I don’t think that the economy has had a determinable effect on participation. People will always have the desire to connect with likeminded individuals and to take a break, regardless of the economy.

Q2: What role do you see independent communities like the ones you run playing in 2-3 years, especially given large social networks like Facebook attempting to become a center of gravity for social activities online?

I think that they are just as valuable. A community offering something that people want has always been the key. If people want to have legitimate discussion of the martial arts, for example, where they know that disrespectful comments and spamming aren’t permitted, are they more likely to go to Facebook and join a group on the martial arts, or to end up at a moderated martial arts community, dedicated to that subject?

In my experience, people will prefer something that is dedicated to what they want and that’s regardless of where it is. Facebook’s offering is new in some ways, but the same, as what has existed, in others. There have been sites that could “streamline” online community for years and years and cover endless topics all at one site. But, it still comes down to the community and the management and that doesn’t have a lot to do with it being on Facebook or it being on a standalone forum.

Q3: You recently wrote about a very tragic issue: dealing with a suicide in your online community. Can you talk about what prompted you to write the post, and how the response has been?

It’s always been an important subject to me, because we’re talking about human life. Luckily, I have not been affected by this type of tragedy. But, I’ve always recognized the potential and have had an idea of how I would want to handle such a situation, for a long time. The Abraham K. Biggs’ and Megan Meier stories brought it back to the forefront and I thought it gave me an opportunity to address the topic. I have actually been thinking about it for months and researching it, in order to formulate a post that would help community administrators.

I think it’s somewhat of an elephant in the room in that it’s difficult, no one wants it to happen and we’d rather not talk about it. But, thinking about it and planning ahead can help to eliminate fear and give you the greatest chance to help someone. The response to the post has been great so far.

Q4: What advice would you give to a startup that wants to develop an online community strategy as part of their product offering and brand experience?

Spend time setting up the entire operation before you make anything public. From the organization of the site to the (really important) guidelines or participation policies, your community should be consistent with who you are and how you want to be seen. Don’t set it up as you go and don’t try to cater to everyone – stay true to what your operation is about. It’s important to get community right and getting community right means, eventually, people will shout that you are wrong. Be strong and be consistent.

Patrick O'Keefe
Owner, iFroggy Network - http://www.ifroggy.com
Author, "Managing Online Forums" - http://www.managingonlineforums.com

Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/iFroggy
Skype - patrick_okeefe