The way people share knowledge, find support, and interact in the digital world has been redefined by the rise of online communities. From forums to social media groups, these spaces are created and designed to bring together like-minded individuals, yet many traditional approaches to managing and building them are essentially flawed. The result we see from this is often exclusion, stagnation, or the creation of environments that do not foster meaningful interaction.
To better understand these challenges and explore ways that we can overcome them, it is essential to break down what is wrong with the traditional approach and how we can innovate for more engaged and healthier communities.
The Problem with the Traditional Approach
1. Inadequate Tools for Meaningful Engagement
Quantity over quality when it comes to user engagement is something many traditional online platforms focus on. Metrics such as comments, likes and shares are often used as the main measures of success, but these metrics do not always indicate necessarily to deep, meaningful interactions.
On large forums and social media platforms, interactions are very much superficial, with fleeting engagement driven by reactions that are quick rather than conversation that is thoughtful.
The configuration of traditional platforms tends to encourage sensationalism and virality over substantive discussions. This can lead to a culture where people are in communities where individuals share sensational or controversial content to attract attention, those looking for meaningful conversation are often overshadowed.
2. Centralized Control and Top-Down Moderation
Moderation is often handled by a few people in many traditional online communities, these are typically moderators and administrators who make key decisions about who gets to participate and what content is and is not allowed in the community. Whilst some level of moderation is necessary to prevent behaviour that could be harmful, this top-down approach can feel disempowering and authoritarian for community members.
This kind of structure can create a disconnect between the people making the decisions and the users. when people do not have a say in how their community is run they may feel less invested in the community which may lead to decreased engagement and at times, hostility or even frustration. What could be even worse could be the bias of moderators whether that be done consciously or unconsciously, can shape the culture of your community which could lead to favouritism or censorship.
3. Lack of Focus on Community-Led Governance
Many traditional online communities are often owned and operated by individual entities or private companies and the rules, design, and terms of service of the platforms are often shaped by the owners and not the members themselves. This can mean that users do not have a say in the changes that affect their experience within the community whether it be content guidelines, monetization strategies or algorithms that are made without consulting the users due to the lack of community-led governance.
4. Homogeneous or Exclusive Membership
Some online communities, especially those built around specific interests, ideologies or professions, can become echo chambers. Whilst it is natural for online communities to form around shared values, this homogeneity can be quite harmful if there is no room for diversity of thought.
Traditional approaches to this often lack mechanisms to encourage inclusive dialogue or expose members to a variety of different perspectives.
Many online communities become exclusionary unintentionally where they only cater to a narrow demographic or gatekeeping access based on certain criteria such as popularity or expertise. This can create a barrier to entry for newcomers or those who do not fit the mould stifling diversity and growth within the group.
5. Moderator Burnout
In traditional communities, you will find that moderators are often volunteers who are tasked with the difficult job of enforcing rules and maintaining order. Taking on a job like that can quickly turn into burnout, especially if the community is more active or larger.
When individuals are responsible for keeping the peace within a community, it can put immense pressure on them which can in turn result in unfair decisions, disengagement or inconsistent enforcement.
How can we overcome these challenges?
1. Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity
Inclusivity should be consciously built into your community structure, this could mean creating onboarding processes that make your newcomers feel welcome, hosting discussions or events specifically for underrepresented voices, and establishing guidelines that protect the viewpoints of the minority. By encouraging a range of perspectives, it can lead to a more innovative, vibrant, and dynamic community.
Inclusive communities can also use tools such as regular feedback sessions, anonymous posting, and diverse leadership teams to ensure that all voices are heard within the community.
2. Emphasize Meaningful Interaction
Rather than focusing on views, likes, and shares, online platforms should prioritize deeper engagement metrics, some examples are:
These can encourage meaningful participation. Platforms that promote a detailed dialogue such as Quora or other specialized forums can provide knowledge sharing and insights.
Algorithms and AI are other ways you can enhance engagement that surface not just popular content but quality content. Highlighting thoughtful contributions from diverse voices can combat the echo chamber effect whilst helping to promote richer conversations.
3. Support Systems for Moderators
Burnout in moderators is more common than many think. To reduce burnout, communities should provide the proper resources and tools for moderators, these can include:
4. Collaborative and Decentralized Moderation
Creating a decentralized moderation system where responsibility is distributed among community leaders is another solution to look at. Models such as Wikipedia's community-driven edits or Reddit's upvote/downvote system show how collaborative moderation can work.
Empowering users to participate in moderation and decision-making reduces bias, improves fairness, and allows for more democratic control. Giving community members tools to be able to moderate discussions, or vote on important decisions, can help to build trust and give community users a sense of ownership.
5. Community-Led Governance Models
If you are looking for more sustainable growth or to create stronger bonds, giving the community a direct say in how it operates through community-led governance models is a good way to do that.
Blockchain-based communities or decentralized platforms such as DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) are emerging as innovative solutions where users can collectively decide on platform updates, resource allocation, and even decide on rules.
When members feel ownership over their community's direction, they are more likely to stay engaged long-term and contribute positively.
Conclusion
Managing online communities in the traditional approach is flawed in many key areas, from shallow engagement metrics to centralized control, however, we can create healthy and thriving online spaces by promoting meaningful engagement, adopting community-led governance, supporting moderators, and fostering inclusivity.
As online communities continue to grow in importance and influence, we must shift our thinking to build more inclusive, democratic, and resilient digital environments.
To better understand these challenges and explore ways that we can overcome them, it is essential to break down what is wrong with the traditional approach and how we can innovate for more engaged and healthier communities.
The Problem with the Traditional Approach
1. Inadequate Tools for Meaningful Engagement
Quantity over quality when it comes to user engagement is something many traditional online platforms focus on. Metrics such as comments, likes and shares are often used as the main measures of success, but these metrics do not always indicate necessarily to deep, meaningful interactions.
On large forums and social media platforms, interactions are very much superficial, with fleeting engagement driven by reactions that are quick rather than conversation that is thoughtful.
The configuration of traditional platforms tends to encourage sensationalism and virality over substantive discussions. This can lead to a culture where people are in communities where individuals share sensational or controversial content to attract attention, those looking for meaningful conversation are often overshadowed.
2. Centralized Control and Top-Down Moderation
Moderation is often handled by a few people in many traditional online communities, these are typically moderators and administrators who make key decisions about who gets to participate and what content is and is not allowed in the community. Whilst some level of moderation is necessary to prevent behaviour that could be harmful, this top-down approach can feel disempowering and authoritarian for community members.
This kind of structure can create a disconnect between the people making the decisions and the users. when people do not have a say in how their community is run they may feel less invested in the community which may lead to decreased engagement and at times, hostility or even frustration. What could be even worse could be the bias of moderators whether that be done consciously or unconsciously, can shape the culture of your community which could lead to favouritism or censorship.
3. Lack of Focus on Community-Led Governance
Many traditional online communities are often owned and operated by individual entities or private companies and the rules, design, and terms of service of the platforms are often shaped by the owners and not the members themselves. This can mean that users do not have a say in the changes that affect their experience within the community whether it be content guidelines, monetization strategies or algorithms that are made without consulting the users due to the lack of community-led governance.
4. Homogeneous or Exclusive Membership
Some online communities, especially those built around specific interests, ideologies or professions, can become echo chambers. Whilst it is natural for online communities to form around shared values, this homogeneity can be quite harmful if there is no room for diversity of thought.
Traditional approaches to this often lack mechanisms to encourage inclusive dialogue or expose members to a variety of different perspectives.
Many online communities become exclusionary unintentionally where they only cater to a narrow demographic or gatekeeping access based on certain criteria such as popularity or expertise. This can create a barrier to entry for newcomers or those who do not fit the mould stifling diversity and growth within the group.
5. Moderator Burnout
In traditional communities, you will find that moderators are often volunteers who are tasked with the difficult job of enforcing rules and maintaining order. Taking on a job like that can quickly turn into burnout, especially if the community is more active or larger.
When individuals are responsible for keeping the peace within a community, it can put immense pressure on them which can in turn result in unfair decisions, disengagement or inconsistent enforcement.
How can we overcome these challenges?
1. Promoting Diversity and Inclusivity
Inclusivity should be consciously built into your community structure, this could mean creating onboarding processes that make your newcomers feel welcome, hosting discussions or events specifically for underrepresented voices, and establishing guidelines that protect the viewpoints of the minority. By encouraging a range of perspectives, it can lead to a more innovative, vibrant, and dynamic community.
Inclusive communities can also use tools such as regular feedback sessions, anonymous posting, and diverse leadership teams to ensure that all voices are heard within the community.
2. Emphasize Meaningful Interaction
Rather than focusing on views, likes, and shares, online platforms should prioritize deeper engagement metrics, some examples are:
- Rewarding thoughtful comments
- Fostering long-form content
- Facilitating regular events or group discussions
These can encourage meaningful participation. Platforms that promote a detailed dialogue such as Quora or other specialized forums can provide knowledge sharing and insights.
Algorithms and AI are other ways you can enhance engagement that surface not just popular content but quality content. Highlighting thoughtful contributions from diverse voices can combat the echo chamber effect whilst helping to promote richer conversations.
3. Support Systems for Moderators
Burnout in moderators is more common than many think. To reduce burnout, communities should provide the proper resources and tools for moderators, these can include:
- Scalable tools such as AI-driven moderation assistants
- Training
- Mental Health Support
4. Collaborative and Decentralized Moderation
Creating a decentralized moderation system where responsibility is distributed among community leaders is another solution to look at. Models such as Wikipedia's community-driven edits or Reddit's upvote/downvote system show how collaborative moderation can work.
Empowering users to participate in moderation and decision-making reduces bias, improves fairness, and allows for more democratic control. Giving community members tools to be able to moderate discussions, or vote on important decisions, can help to build trust and give community users a sense of ownership.
5. Community-Led Governance Models
If you are looking for more sustainable growth or to create stronger bonds, giving the community a direct say in how it operates through community-led governance models is a good way to do that.
Blockchain-based communities or decentralized platforms such as DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) are emerging as innovative solutions where users can collectively decide on platform updates, resource allocation, and even decide on rules.
When members feel ownership over their community's direction, they are more likely to stay engaged long-term and contribute positively.
Conclusion
Managing online communities in the traditional approach is flawed in many key areas, from shallow engagement metrics to centralized control, however, we can create healthy and thriving online spaces by promoting meaningful engagement, adopting community-led governance, supporting moderators, and fostering inclusivity.
As online communities continue to grow in importance and influence, we must shift our thinking to build more inclusive, democratic, and resilient digital environments.
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