Resources for Building Online Communities
Posted by: Clint 
This week I will be having a mastermind group about steps to effectively build online communities, with some top entrepreneurs and educators.
What are the best resources you know of about building online communities?
One more fascinating subject Clint…
just for start some useful sources (always looking from the learning point of view)
CoP http://www.ewenger.com/theory/
E-tivities http://www.atimod.com/e-tivities/5stage.shtml
Learning in Groups
http://www.atimod.com/learning-in-groups/index.html
Howard Rheingold
http://www.rheingold.com/howard/
Under the above presented links there are the people (behind the idea) that I consider as the “fathers” (maybe in Gilly’s case the “mother”) in the field.
I would like to see more this kind of sources coming…
A few resources:
Clay Shirky’s book, “Here comes everyone” is excellent. http://www.amazon.com/Here-Comes-Everybody-Organizing-Organizations/dp/1594201536
“Linked: How Everything Is Connected to Everything Else and What It Means” by Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, one of the foremost network researchers in the world is an excellent introduction into the research / mathematics behind what make human (and other) networks tick. http://www.amazon.com/Linked-Everything-Connected-Else-Means/dp/0452284392
Anything by Christopher Alexander is amazing. I’ve read (and am re-reading) his book, “Notes on the Synthesis of Form” which is excellent reading to think deeper about what is design and how to go about doing it. http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Synthesis-Form-Harvard-Paperbacks/dp/0674627512
Also he originated the patterns concept which others have taken and applied to designing online communities. See:
http://www.designingsocialinterfaces.com/patterns.wiki/index.php?title=Main_Page (also a coming book by O’Reilly)
http://www.slideshare.net/pecus/online-communities-design-patterns-255635
http://buildingreputation.com/
http://wikis.sun.com/display/ASSPL/A+Social+Software+Pattern+Language
Another book which is coming out soon and looks excellent is by Ubuntu’s community manager called “The Art of Community” — see the project website:
http://www.artofcommunityonline.org/
Also — a bit of self-promotion. I think social objects are the most powerful concept for thinking through the design of an online community. I’ve written several blog posts about how to use social objects in designing online communities. I’ve linked to most of my source material from the blog posts so click-through if you’re interested.
http://kyle.mathews2000.com/blog/2009/02/21/what-are-social-objects
http://kyle.mathews2000.com/blog/2009/02/27/how-design-social-networking-site-using-social-objects
Kyle
Oh, and this is the article where I got the ideas for micro-labs that I started telling you about earlier. It lays out some fascinating ideas. The best plan I’ve read I think about how to restructure universities:
http://president.asu.edu/node/705
Awesome Vasilis and Kyle. Thanks for these very helpful lists and links.
I keep hearing about “Tribes”, and think I need to read that one.
Are there any other key ones that we are forgetting?
I found this a very worthwhile read, Clint: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Designing-Virtual-Communities-Service-Learning/dp/0521520819
Also, Wenger and his colleagues have a new book coming out (on Aug 15 actually): http://technologyforcommunities.com/
Enjoy!
You’ve got some great readers, Clint! I now have a new reading list for the semester…
This is an extensive list and I’ve only recently purchased “Here Comes Everyone.”
From a general social media perspective, I suggest Jeremiah Owyang’s blog: http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/