Intro to Building Online Communities

Clint TalbertMozilla Corporation

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Building What?

• We want to be definition 3, not definition 6

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What it’s all about

A movement of people is a coordinated group that is working to achieve some common set of goals for a shared cause.

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Building Community

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Building Community

• Communication

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Building Community

• Communication

• Communication

4

Building Community

• Communication

• Communication

• Communication

4

More Specific?

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More Specific?

• Radically Open Communication

5

More Specific?

• Radically Open Communication

• Promote a Welcoming Attitude

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More Specific?

• Radically Open Communication

• Promote a Welcoming Attitude

• Empower & Engage Members early and often

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The Tabling Exercise

• What did you see from when it didn’t work?

• What did you see from when it worked?

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Blank Screens Are Bad

• Make communication as specific and personalized as possible.

• Don’t be too professional -- be human

• Let your smile shine through into the medium

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Communication Pt I

• Let your smile show

• Create a virtual “water cooler” vibe

• You are there to get work done, but it can’t be all business

• Always be nice, courteous and respectful

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Communication Pt II

• Discussions in Public, especially if you don’t have “it” figured out

• Encourage new people to post ideas on a public forum

• Make hallway discussions public

• Don’t lie

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Welcoming

• Help those first timer’s

• Minimize or Remove barriers to entry

• Always take the most sobering look at the project from a new user’s view

• Ask new user’s what the difficult parts are

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Empowering & Engaging

• Anticipate the “What can I do” question

• Give people the necessary rights/permission etc to do things

• Empower and Engage early and often - know what the person will work on next before they do

• Reward with recognition early and often

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Things to Always Think About

• How will people find you?

• How will new people get involved in everything you do?

• How can you use the media to broaden your reach?

• How can you re-engage and give existing volunteers more responsibility?

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To Summarize

• Communication Communication Comm...

• Be radically open

• Hug the entire world

• Don’t lie

• Give recognition where it’s due, when it’s due all the time

• Never stop recruiting

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Thank youctalbert@mozilla.com

Questions?

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