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1. Important Information • This presentation was created by Patrick Crispen (crispen@netsquirrel.com) • You are free to reuse this presentation provided that you • Not make any money from this presentation • Give credit where credit is due • Invite your audience to subscribe to TOURBUS (information about TOURBUS appears near the end of this presentation)

2. Designing Online Communities ... on a Shoestring Budget a presentation byPatrick Douglas CrispenNetSquirrel.Com

3. Pencils down! • Instead of scribbling down everything I say, just visit http://netsquirrel.com/ when you get home. • This is my personal Web site and it contains: • A copy of this PowerPoint presentation and others that you are welcome to “creatively acquire.” • Information about TOURBUS, the ADV-HTML list, and some other neat stuff. • A really good chocolate chip cookie recipe.

4. Our goals today ... • Discover the nuts and bolts of online communities. • Learn how to create our own online communities ... cheaply. • Talk about some of the rules of community design. • DO ALL OF THIS IN ENGLISH!

5. Getting Started The nuts and bolts of online communities

6. What is an online community? • A unified body of individuals who share the same common interests. • Online Communities are different, though, because they: • Break down the barriers of distance and time. • Make it easier for like-minded people to get together. • Can offer anonymity.

7. Four types of online communities • Geographic, defined by a physical location like a city or region.  • Demographic, defined by age, gender, race, or nationality. • Topical, defined by shared interest, like a fan club, hobby group, or professional organization.  • Activity-based, defined by a shared activity, like shopping, investing, playing games, making music, or taking a class.

8. Creating communities • The easiest way to create an online community is to simply join someone else’s already-existing online community! • Asynchronous (“not live”) • Best examples: email or newsgroups. • Messages are stored somewhere. • Community members read and respond to the messages on their own schedules. • Synchronous (“live”) • Best example: AOL chat rooms / AIM. • Communication is real time.

9. Asynchronous communities: Majordomo • You “subscribe” to a mailing list that interests you. • Majordomo automatically adds your name to the mailing list. • Any time something is posted to the mailing list, you automatically receive a copy (“mail explosion”).

10. Asynchronous communities: L-Soft LISTSERV lists • Sort of the “Band Aid” of mailing list software. • Works like Majordomo (with more bells and whistles). • Currently 173,337 LISTSERV lists, of which 45,644 open to the public.

11. http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html • L-Soft’s CataList Reference Site • Search for a mailing list of interest. • View lists by host country. • View lists with 10,000 subscribers or more. • View lists with 1,000 subscribers or more.

12. Where to find more lists • LISZThttp://www.liszt.com/ • Directory of over 100,000 mailing lists. • Search by keyword or browse by topic. • Also offers Usenet and IRC directories.

13. Other asynchronous communities • USENET (NNTP) • Bulletin Board System (BBS) • “Guestbook”-like Tools

14. PLUSSES EASY to use. Usually doesn’t require the community members to have any special software or training. More deliberation in the community’s communications. Not synchronous. Requires us to change our pedagogy. MINUSES Requires a “master of the house.” “Phone Tag” – it is like conducting a conversation using voice mail. Not synchronous. Requires us to change our pedagogy. Asynchronous communities

15. Synchronous: MUDs, MOOs, Etc. • Originally “Multi-User Dungeons,” now “Multi-User Dimensions.” • “An inventively structured social experience on the Internet, managed by a computer program and often involving a loosely organized context or theme.”

16. Synchronous: AIM • AOL Instant Messenger • FREE! • Included in later versions of Netscape. • Download from http://www.aol.com/aim

17. Synchronous: IRC / ICQ • Other popular chat programs: • IRC: Internet Relay Chat • http://www.irc.net/ • ICQ: “I Seek You” • http://web.icq.com/ • If you are a “newbie” (or work with newbies) stick with AOL Instant Messenger. It is MUCH easier to use.

18. Synchronous: Web-based stuff • Online Chat • Example: http://chat.yahoo.com/ • Online MUDs/MOOs/etc. • Examples: http://www.cybertown.com/ and http://www.tappedin.org/

19. Needs: • Synchronous and asynchronous communication with its online MA students • Conversation transcripts/archives • Solution: • MUD for synchronous communications • NNTP for asynchronous communications

20. NNTP Info • Go to Serverwatch • http://serverwatch.internet.com/newsservers.html • Reviews of NNTP servers (including prices)

21. Microsoft NetMeeting • Video and Audio Conferencing • Whiteboard • Chat • File Transfer • Program and Remote Desktop Sharing • FREE!

22. Case Study: PwC • Needs: • A way for stakeholders in many countries to view a synchronous, on-screen presentation • Voice communication • Solution: • NetMeeting for the on-screen stuff • Speakerphone for the voice stuff

23. PLUSSES Live, real-time communication. High “bells and whistle” factor – it looks impressive. Requires us to change our pedagogy. MINUSES Additional software – and training in how to use that software – may be required. Fear factor is high. Scheduling is a nightmare. “If you aren’t on the bus, you’re off the bus.” Requires us to change our pedagogy. Synchronous communities

24. The whole point ... • If want to incorporate an online community into your classroom, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. • There are hundreds of thousands of already existing online communities you can use. • The tools you need to access and use these communities run the gamut from simple (email) to semi-complex (a VRML-enabled Web browser).

25. Creating You Own Online Communities Why invent a custom wheel when you can just as easily “borrow” an off-the-rack wheel that works just as well?

26. The biggest secret • You really don’t need ANY special software, hardware, or even training to create a really good online community (although software and hardware is available that will help you take your community to the next level). • The number one community-building tool? EMAIL!

27. Creating simple email communities • The simplest way is to use “groups” in your email program’s address book, but you should only do this if you have less than 10 people in you community. • Problem #1: EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY HAS TO UPDATE HIS OR HER ADDRESS BOOK WHEN SOMEONE JOINS OR LEAVES THE COMMUNITY. This is MADNESS! • Problem #2: If the community becomes too big (more than 10 people), it becomes unmanageable.

28. Simple, moderated email communities • One person – the “moderator” – maintains the list of community email addresses in his or her address book. • All of the community’s email is first sent to the moderator who then forwards it to the rest of the community. • Problem: This is one heck of a lot of work, especially if the community is either large or “active.”

29. Email communities using an alias list • You can set up an email aliases list (/etc/aliases) that will send mail to multiple people on the list. • But, someone must maintain this list. • This is a UNIX solution.

30. Mailing lists • That’s where Majordomo and L-Soft LISTSERV come in! • Software automates both the subscription and mail distribution processes. • Every major university on the planet is running L-Soft LISTSERV, and many major organizations (like Merit) are running Majordomo. • Ask if they will host a list for you.

31. And if they won’t ... • LISTSERV light is FREE! • Maximum of 10 mailing lists with up to 500 subscribers each • Runs on EVERYTHING! • http://www.lsoft.com/products/listserv_lite.asp

32. Don’t forget the archives • List archives are a wonderful resource for current members (“asked and answered”). • List archives also help acclimate newbies. • LISTSERV does it automatically; Majordomo requires Hypermail (I think).

33. Case Study: ADV-HTML • Needs: • Way for Web gurus to ask Web design/development questions of other gurus • Some way to keep the signal to noise ratio to a reasonable level • Solution: • Moderated LISTSERV list with an automated archive (at netsquirrel.com)

34. Web-based chat • Use someone else’s (like chat.yahoo.com) • It is cheaper. • With SO MANY Web-based chat communities out there, unless you have set meeting times, any new chat room you create is probably going to be a ghost town.

35. And, of course ... • If you are going to use synchronous community software – be it a “talker,” a chat program, an online “world,” or NetMeeting – make sure your community’s members: • Have the appropriate software. • Know how to use the software. • Know when they need to meet online. • Find someone to be the community’s “tech leader.”

36. The Rules of Community Design How to ensure that your hard work as a community builder will actually benefit the members of your online community

37. The community-building bible • Community Building on the Web: Secret Strategies for Successful Online Communities by Amy Jo Kim • ISBN: 0201874849 • List Price: $29.99 ($23.99 at Amazon and BN) • Free excerpts athttp://www.naima.com/community/

38. Define and articulate your PURPOSE (*) Build flexible, extensible gathering PLACES Create meaningful and evolving member PROFILES Design for a range of ROLES Develop a strong LEADERSHIP program Encourage appropriate ETIQUETTE (*) Promote cyclic EVENTS Integrate the RITUALS of community life Facilitate member-run SUBGROUPS Nine timeless design strategies

39. 1. Define and articulate your PURPOSE • What type of community are you building? • Why are you building it? • Who are you building it for? • Avoid the “soup to nuts” fallacy.

40. A three-step planning exercise • Step One: Members’ Needs • Understand your members. • Make a list of their needs. • Prioritize your list. • Step Two: “Owner’s” Goals • Understand your owners. • Make a list of their goals. • Prioritize your list.

41. A three-step planning exercise • Step Three: Create a “Master List” of your community’s goals • Compare and consolidate your two lists. • Create and distribute the master list.

42. 6. Encourage appropriate ETIQUETTE “Cyberspace, in its present condition, has a lot in common with the 19th Century West. It is vast, unmapped, culturally and legally ambiguous, verbally terse (unless you happen to be a court stenographer), hard to get around in, and up for grabs. Large institutions already claim to own the place, but most of the actual natives are solitary and independent, sometimes to the point of sociopathy. It is, of course, a perfect breeding ground for both outlaws and new ideas about liberty.” -- John Perry Barlow, Crime and Puzzlement

43. 6. Encourage appropriate ETIQUETTE • “Netiquette” is etiquette on the Internet. • Based on the Golden Rule. • Poor netiquette because you're new is one thing, but such practices as spam and flaming are another matter. • Without rules and social boundaries, your online community will rapidly collapse. • Most communities avoid this by using both codified rules and “super users” who enforce these rules.

44. Case Study: Bamafan • Needs: • Email list for fans of the Crimson Tide • Solution: • LISTSERV list • BUT, I forgot to establish etiquette rules up front • I AM STILL SUFFERING THE CONSEQUENCES!

45. 6. Encourage appropriate ETIQUETTE • Figure out: • What the rules are. • Who will be responsible for enforcing the rules. • Let your members know the rules, and the consequences of breaking those rules, as soon as possible. • For some great netiquette guides, go to Yahoo and search for “netiquette.”

46. Some More Resources Where to go if you want to take your online community to the next level.

47. Another good book • Building Learning Communities in Cyberspace by Rena Palloff and Keith Pratt • ISBN: 0787944602 • List Price: $29.95

48. http://www.naima.com/CS377B/class.html • Amy Jo Kim’s “Designing Online Communities” graduate seminar at Stanford. • The “Template” is the key points from her book. • The “Outline” is the seminar syllabus and contains FANTASTIC links.

49. http://www.builder.com/ • CNET’s site for site builders. • Great for anyone who wants to learn more about any aspect of Web design, including community building.

50. http://www.yahoo.com/ • Collection of links to some of the most popular online communities in the world. • Search for “virtual communities.”