{"id":24013,"key":"Online_communities","title":"Online communities","latest":{"id":1209486,"timestamp":"2025-11-28T02:28:18Z"},"content_model":"wikitext","license":{"url":"https://www.appropedia.org/Appropedia:Copyrights","title":"CC-BY-SA-4.0"},"source":"An '''online community''' (or '''virtual community''') is connected through email, a forum, a wiki or a social networking platform. Many are for entertainment only, while others are focused on [[sustainability]], tackling [[poverty]], [[appropriate technology]], or [[design]].\nCommunities on such subjects are communities of purpose - however, building and managing such communities require understanding human needs and desires. The members may be more driven, passionate and/or altruistic than those on a hobby forum, but they will still be drawn back to a place where they experience connection and fun.\n\n== See also ==\n\n* [[Communities online]]\n* [[Wiki community development]]\n* [[Green Knowledge Trust]]\n\n== External links ==\n\n* [[Wiki community development|Wiki community development]], on Appropedia.org.\n* [http://web.archive.org/web/20110830213420/http://cotw.cc:80/wiki/Wiki_ecosystem Wiki ecosystem] - ''Coalition of the Willing'' wiki\n* [http://web.archive.org/web/20110815150831/http://cotw.cc/wiki/Green_knowledge_ecosystem Green knowledge ecosystem] - ''Coalition of the Willing'' wiki\n\n=== Online communities ===\n\n* [http://www.how-matters.org/2010/09/09/international-development-online-communities/ Online Communities for International Do-Gooders], a compiled (and growing) list of online communities related to international development and assistance from [http://www.how-matters.org/ how-matters.org]\n\n=== Resources for community building and managing ===\n\nHere is some suggested reading. Please share key points that are relevant to Appropedia, on Talk:Wiki community development or the [[A:VP|site discussion page]] or [http://groups.google.com/group/appropedia-community/ community discussion list], particularly if it has inspired you to take action in a particular way.\n\n* [http://www.artofcommunityonline.org/2009/09/18/the-art-of-community-now-available-for-free-download/ Art of Community] by Jono Bacon, Ubuntu community manager. (You can download the pdf.)\n* [http://www.feverbee.com/ FeverBee], blog by Richard Millington, \"an online community builder currently working for the United Nations Refugee Agency... the founder of [http://web.archive.org/web/20120102154652/http://commania.ning.com:80/ Commania], a community for community professionals and the author of the [http://richchallenge.typepad.com/files/communitybuildingmanifesto-1.pdf Online Community Manifesto].\n* [http://web.archive.org/web/20111027012938/http://pillarsummit.com:80/the-proven-path/theprovenpath.pdf The Proven Path] - a clear introduction to community building that works, from Richard Millington.\n* [http://www.theopensourceway.org/book/ The Open Source Way] - about online community, and being written by an online community. As at 22 Feb 2010, \"The strongest sections are [https://web.archive.org/web/20210510120245/https://www.theopensourceway.org/wiki/Communities_of_practice Communities of practice], [https://web.archive.org/web/20210510042644/https://www.theopensourceway.org/wiki/How_to_loosely_organize_a_community How to loosely organize a community], and [https://web.archive.org/web/20210510083744/https://www.theopensourceway.org/wiki/Stuff_everyone_knows_and_forgets_anyway Stuff everyone knows and forgets anyway]\", according to the project leader.[http://opensource.com/business/10/2/how-manual-open-source-way-written-open-source-way?sms_ss=identica]\n* [http://web.archive.org/web/20111214070333/http://www.admittingfailure.com:80/2011/01/1sky-lessons-learned-in-building-a-custom-community-platform/ Lessons Learned in Building a Custom Community Platform] - the pitfalls of developing online community spaces, looking at \"The Climate Network\" and why it failed.\n* [http://www.collaborativenation.com/community-managers.html Community Managers] - interviews with ''Collaborative Nation'' (a website for \"Techno-Activist Communities\")\n\n'''Wiki-specific resources''':\n\n* [http://web.archive.org/web/20090106184935/http://wikipatterns.com/ Wiki Patterns] - growth and community in wikis. (Appears broken, but [http://web.archive.org/web/20130628101610/http://wikipatterns.com/display/wikipatterns/Wikipatterns available at Archive.org].)\n* [http://www.communitywiki.org/ CommunityWiki] (less focused, more open)\n* [[meta:Wikicommunity]] - proposal for community-building within Wikimedia through activities not focused directly on content creation. Contains links to relevant pages and discussions on English Wikipedia.\n\n==== Deeper study ====\n\nIf you've read all the above - the books, the blog archives - you have plenty of knowledge to manage an online community. But if you still want to dig deeper, a few topics that might be useful to study are listed below - start at the Wikipedia articles, learn, and check the resources listed there. (This is an initial guess at useful topics - as you research, please improve the list):\n\n* [[Wikipedia:Virtual community]]\n* [[Wikipedia:Social capital]]\n\nResearch and academic resources:\n\n* [https://facultystaff.richmond.edu/~dforsyth/gd/ Group Dynamics Resource Page] - Donelson R. Forsyth, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond.\n\n{{Page data\n| license = CC-BY-SA-3.0\n| keywords = Community, Internet, Social media, Networking\n| sdg = SDG10 Reduced inequalities\n| description = Appropedia explores how online groups can support real-world change—from sustainability chats to remote learning hubs.\n}}\n\n[[Category:Community]]\n[[Category:Internet]]\n[[Category:Social media]]\n[[Category:Networking]]"}