why online communities?

Why online communities?

Others are (or soon will be) participating in online communities. Go where they are going!

Why should you care?

• Internet use / behavior is changing.

• The mindset is more of a “come to me” world.

So what’s changing?

http://www.briansolis.com/2006/12/time-magazine-web-20-and-you.html

Gaming Entertainment Learning

Journalism Politics Commerce

Business Marketing Mapping

What problems are OC solving?

• Work occurs outside of our offices

• Email overload - wrong method

• Unable to keep up

• Need to work together

• Need to include clients

• You (We) don’t know it all

• Communication failures

Online communities are about…

SharingWork Information

Knowledge Experiences

Interests Opinions

Also, they’re about…

• Enhancing learning opportunities

• Providing better quality services

• Communicating

• Building relationships

• Building professional reputations

Also, they are about the …

• Power of • reading feeds• bloggers’ & individuals’ influence• learning from others

(regardless of geography/status)• relating • any format, anywhere

Individuals decide how they want information.

Individuals depend on their communities for

information.

BloggingShare your

Expertise Knowledge

Information Thoughts

Ideas Cool stuff

Observations Opinions

Extension professionals

Good bloggers’ characteristics

Before blogging1. Seek

• Find feeds that interest you (look for the RSS feed logo )

• Extension professionals may find these feeds interesting

• “Ten Steps to Web 2.0″. Watch the archive from April 24

Before blogging2. Lurk

• Stop surfing – read blogs using feed reader (i.e., Google Reader)• How to Use a News Reader • Trying to Create a Listing of News Feeds • Web conference archives

• Make Google Reader your home page

Before blogging3. Converse

Comment on blogs—this is your introduction to

blogging.

Before blogging4. Share

• Share your findings on social bookmarking sites del.icio.us or diigo.

• See web conference archives on social bookmarking

Following & contributing to existing blogs

(conversations), you will:

• learn new knowledge & ideas

• advance the knowledge of others

• share what you learned with others

Beginners’ blogging tips

Getting started in conversations

Tips from a new blogger

Make mine chunky (how to write a blog)

Writing for the web

Legal guide for bloggers

Extension professionals and their passion

Blogging: Stepping into the learning process

Blogging: Build your professional reputation

Next stepsTry at least 1 of the

applications on the pages “Next Steps”.

Then try another & another.

Next steps• Stop editing large attachments –

Google Docs

• Stop email madness – • Wikis• Instant messaging: AIM, Yahoo, MSN,

or enterprise messaging• SMS (text messaging)

Next steps• Share by using wikis &

Google Docs & shared resources: • Slideshare • Flickr • YouTube • etc.

Next steps• Share your opinion vote on content

• Digg • StumbleUpon• Amazon• etc.

Next steps• Join a social network site

• Facebook• MySpace• Ning• LinkedIn

• Join a virtual world• Second Life

Other references

Extension in Web 2.0

Trust in the online community

Social networks in plain English

More thoughts on Twitter