Comments on: Flickr and YouTube, two lessons in community management http://ash10.com/2008/08/flickr-and-youtube-two-lessons-in-community-management/ Pete Ashton helps you understand how the Internet works. Mon, 01 Mar 2010 18:10:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Pete Ashton http://ash10.com/2008/08/flickr-and-youtube-two-lessons-in-community-management/#comment-67 Pete Ashton Wed, 20 Aug 2008 21:38:19 +0000 http://ash10.com/?p=31#comment-67 @dp: Thanks for that. You're right, of course. Context is everything. Indeed, one of the most fertile communities on the internet is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan" rel="nofollow">4chan</a> which (and I say this as someone who's never been there so not an expert) is a lawless zone but which gave us such gems as lolcats and the anti-Scientology Anonymous campaign. There is a vitally important place for anarchy on the net, no doubt about that. But this article came out of talking to people running community groups who were worried about how they might deal with comments on their blogs, etc. I'm assuming that in the same way you'd want a community centre to be safe and welcoming to new visitors they'd want the same for their websites. How can they do that? By taking the Flickr approach and not leaving it to chance like YouTube did. @dp: Thanks for that. You’re right, of course. Context is everything. Indeed, one of the most fertile communities on the internet is 4chan which (and I say this as someone who’s never been there so not an expert) is a lawless zone but which gave us such gems as lolcats and the anti-Scientology Anonymous campaign. There is a vitally important place for anarchy on the net, no doubt about that.

But this article came out of talking to people running community groups who were worried about how they might deal with comments on their blogs, etc. I’m assuming that in the same way you’d want a community centre to be safe and welcoming to new visitors they’d want the same for their websites. How can they do that? By taking the Flickr approach and not leaving it to chance like YouTube did.

]]> By: dp http://ash10.com/2008/08/flickr-and-youtube-two-lessons-in-community-management/#comment-66 dp Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:40:45 +0000 http://ash10.com/?p=31#comment-66 While your broader point is meaningful and good to see, I'm thinking the two examples are illustrative of things that aren't necessarily supportive evidence. For example, the YouTube dialogue might be construed as meaningful conversation between people who choose not to converse intelligibly. They might be doing it for a laugh, because (to borrow a phrase) the interment is for flaming, a bit like that <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2782936060935011057&vt=lf&hl=en" rel="nofollow">YouTube video of two professors</a> getting out of hand at a debate. In short, the context might be important, there might be more structure to the thing than we notice. Conversely, Flickr pages, for all the care lavished by the now departed inventors, are frequently laced with insincere and pretentious twaddle. It might be community, but not as I know it. I'm not sure what point this makes in relation to the nuances of community management. Perhaps a well-ordered community is a matter of finding it where you can, whether it's in sharing flames or flattery. While your broader point is meaningful and good to see, I’m thinking the two examples are illustrative of things that aren’t necessarily supportive evidence.

For example, the YouTube dialogue might be construed as meaningful conversation between people who choose not to converse intelligibly. They might be doing it for a laugh, because (to borrow a phrase) the interment is for flaming, a bit like that YouTube video of two professors getting out of hand at a debate. In short, the context might be important, there might be more structure to the thing than we notice.

Conversely, Flickr pages, for all the care lavished by the now departed inventors, are frequently laced with insincere and pretentious twaddle. It might be community, but not as I know it.

I’m not sure what point this makes in relation to the nuances of community management. Perhaps a well-ordered community is a matter of finding it where you can, whether it’s in sharing flames or flattery.

]]> By: Nick Booth http://ash10.com/2008/08/flickr-and-youtube-two-lessons-in-community-management/#comment-65 Nick Booth Wed, 20 Aug 2008 17:00:27 +0000 http://ash10.com/?p=31#comment-65 Great post Pete. I'm thinking of real world parralells here - the classic council estate where folk say it used to be loveley round here but now with the vandalism I'm scared to go out. These places can be revived and made sociable again through patient long term attention to community. Is that possible on youtube? Great post Pete. I’m thinking of real world parralells here – the classic council estate where folk say it used to be loveley round here but now with the vandalism I’m scared to go out.

These places can be revived and made sociable again through patient long term attention to community. Is that possible on youtube?

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