What's Inside:
Greetings Online Communatics,
By now your 2008 is surely off with a bang.In the world of social netowrks, Robert Scoble and Facebook started the year off with a high profile incident that (yet again) raised the issue of community data portability, and spawned a discussion about what assets and content in a community individual member's actually own. For organizations hosting communities, if the years 2006-07 were about organizations "getting" community, 2008 will surely be remembered as the year of "working it". This year most organizations refine strategy, figure out staffing, implement community programs (not just platforms) and articulate what unique value their community holds for members as well as the host. Looks like it will be another exciting year for online communities and social media!
On to the report!
Bill Johnston, Editor
bjohnston@forumone.com
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Online Community Highlights
Social Networks: Data Portability
The issue of data portability has been swirling around for a while now, but a recent stunt by Robert Scoble forced the issue to the forefront on January 3rd when he tried to "scrape" his Facebook contacts with a third party tool from Plaxo. Although the stunt was a bit sophomoric (if I want shenanigans, I'll call Dane Cook), it helped resurface the debate social network data portability. In the days after the incident, big players like Google, Facebook and LinkedIn joined the Data Portability Workgroup.
The "open" social graph on the horizon - Groundswell / Charlene Li
New Video Explains the Basics of Data Portability - ReadWriteWeb
The Social Graph: A Conversation with Marc Smith - OC Report
Do ordinary users care about data portability? And if not, should they? Four social networks respond. - ZDNet
Google and Facebook to Join the Data Portability Debate - Wired Blog Network
5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Community
In the spirit of the new year, I wanted to encourage community managers, strategists and teams to do a bit of self-reflection on the old (2007) and planning for the new (2008). In this post from the OC Report, I suggest exploring the following questions:
1. How are your members feeling?
2. How is your staff?
3. Who is sponsoring / how do budgets look?
4. Got Goals?
5. Where else can you participate?
Starting the New Year Off Right: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself About Your Community - OC Report
More Highlights:
Social Media Marketing: Keep Your Pants On – Web Pro News
Matt Bailey uses the funny “dating” metaphor to illustrate how important it is for marketers to establish a relationship with their customers and not try to move in quickly and push their marketing messages.
Banning social media at work - Andy Sernovitz
Andy gives his take on a recent poll from Ragan Communications that found ~30% of PR departments restrict access to social media sites.
MySpace's Principles for Social Networking
MySpace announces new safety features and policies designed to protect children and teens.
Benazir Bhutto assassinated: Twitter’s utility
Twitter's ability to spread news quickly is highlighted during and after the tragedy of Benazir Bhutto's assassination.
Scoble, Facebook & Plaxo: It’s a matter of trust. And fear.
A thoughtful article about the role of trust in social software.
MySpace Ruled U.S. Social Nets In 2007
Facebook got the headlines in 2007, but MySpace got the numbers.
Online Community Events
Online Community Unconference: East
February 21, 2008, NYC
The Online Community Unconference East is a gathering of online community professionals - managers, developers, business people, tool providers, investors - to discuss experience and strategies in the development and growth of online communities. Those involved in online community development (and social software in general) share many common challenges: community management, tools, marketing, business models, legal issues. As we have found with our past events, the best source of information on all of these challenges is other knowledgeable practitioners.
PLEASE NOTE: Early bird pricing ends January 23.
Click here to sign up for one of the discounted tickets.
Other Events:
Mobile Communities Unconference
March 20, in Palo Alto
The Mobile Communities Unconference is a gathering of strategists, community hosts, device manufacturers, service providers, and content developers to discuss the emerging opportunities and challenges that mobile communities present.
Several factors are driving the importance and relevance of this topic, most notably the fact that the number of mobile handsets in use globally *dwarfs* the number of personal computers. Other factors include: increased sophistication of mobile devices, increasing speed of data flowing on mobile networks, and the increasingly robust web experiences available via mobiles.
The Mobile Communities Unconference will explore the emerging opportunities of online communities experienced via mobile devices.
Click here to sign up for an early bird ticket.
OC Expert Interviews: The Best of 2007
This month, we take a look back at the expert interviews from 2007. We had a great group of Community experts sharing their experiences, and I think you will agree that the content is worth a second look.
Shawn Morton, CNET
"The big lesson ... was to follow the needs of the community first, not the latest new thing that analysts, journalists or bloggers are raving about… unless your community is geared toward analysts, journalists or bloggers."
Steve Nelson, Clear Ink
"They (communities) form themselves, so what corporations can do is to foster their organic growth, not force it. Understand that they will be equal players at the table, respect them and let them thrive."
Lee LeFever, Common Craft
"In my experience, there is a much needed focus on the role of the community manager. Companies are starting to understand that community isn't a technology that you plug in and leave alone - it's a way of doing business that takes time and hard work. In the best success stories, there is almost always a person or small group that understands community processes, sets expectations, and balances the needs of the community and the organization."
Scott Moore, Schwab Foundation
Regardless which definition of ROI you want to use (return on investment, information or interaction), I am hearing more and more community managers who are focusing on helping community members increase their return as a main goal. This doesn't mean that the organization hosting the community gives up on return, but that it's not the only bottom line (and it's not just a monetary bottom line).
Bill Binenstock, CBS Interactive
"The good news about our industry and our space is that there are so many incredibly cool things to do and so much innovation taking place. The bad news about our industry and our space is that there are so many incredibly cool …."
Guy Kawasaki, Garage / Truemors
Not everything has to be a Google or YouTube to be a "success." Small sites
can be great "lifestyle" businesses: no outside investors, work in your
underwear at home, and use any Macintosh that you want. Life is good in the
garage.
(editors note: my home office is in my garage, but I generally put pants on)
Jake McKee, Ant's Eye View
"But even as this awareness grows and the tools get better and better (anyone seen Facebook lately??), we still advise our clients of the same thing we have for years: build relationships, don’t implement tools. Relationships are the crucial part of any “social” activity, whether online or offline, whether business focused or personal."
Joi Podgorny, Ludorum, Inc.
"It has been said before a ton of times, but I will keep saying it until it becomes common knowledge - Communities are hard work. They take resources to design and plan, but more importantly, they take resources to maintain."
Susan Tenby, TechSoup
"Enlist your most opinionated and helpful volunteers and create a “management group” of sorts. Connect with them every month, outside of the larger group, if possible, through a conference call, take their agenda items and and help them help make the community a success by forming the structure of your community with their ideas and your vision."
Know an online community expert with an interesting story to tell? Or are you one yourself? Email me, and you may be the next expert interviewee!
Online Community Jobs
A current list of Online Community job opportunities. If you would like to include an open position in the next issue of the newsletter, please email with the title and link to the job description.
aahsa
Internet Community Manager
Adobe
Content and Web Strategy Manager
Autodesk
Senior Manager, Community Programs
Best Buy (Canada)
Online Social Community Specialist
demand Media Inc
Marketing & Community Associate Manager
Electronic Arts
Community Manager
Assistant Community Manager
Forum One
Information Architect
Senior Programmer - Technical Lead
Web Developers
Games for Change
Community Manager
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Electronic Communications Specialist
Lithium
Community Excellence Manager
Manager, Community Management Services
LiveWorld
Community Account Director: New York City
Community Account Director: San Jose
Community Manager
Community Specialist
Marketo
Manager of Community and Content
MarketTools
Community Manager, Insight Networks
Ning
Community Advocate
Oogalabs
Community Builder
Opera Software
Community Manager, Consumer Products
Optaros
Online Community Manager
Reuters
Calais Community Manager
Salesforce.com
Sr. Product Marketing Manager - Online Community
Satmetrix
Sr. Manager of Online Community and Marketing
Community Consultant
T Mobile
Senior Manager, Community Products
TripAdvisor
Community Support Manager, Forums/M2M
Director, Global Community Build & Outreach
Senior Forum Moderator
Trulia
Community Evangelist
Trump University
Online Community Marketing Manager
VM Ware
Sr. Community Manager
Warner Bros. Records
Community Manager, New Media
WEGO Health
Online Community Producer
Wikia
Community Development Associate
Yahoo
Community Manager III
Yellow Pages
Sr. Product Manager, User Community
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