Some online groups are lively, some are dead. Why the difference?
01:00, 18 November 2010
.. Posted in techculture and tech to help.. Link
Some demographics take to the Internet better than others. I've worked in developing countries where it seems like every young person I encountered, no matter how poor, was texting on a cell phone or updating a status on an online social network. By contrast, here in Oregon, I regularly encounter groups who haven't updated their web page in years and individuals who tell me that my emails to them have to be printed out by their assistants -- or their husbands -- to be read.
It's the same for online discussions: some groups -- volunteers, employees of a company, people who are part of a particular profession, members of an association, people interested in a specific activity, etc. -- take to an online platform immediately, asking each other questions, making comments, sharing resources and engaging in debates. Other groups don't at all; while they may get together at a conference or onsite meeting and talk, debate and discuss non-stop, put them together online and they remain silent. They all become lurkers, reading the posts but not responding to them, and rarely, and perhaps, never, posting a question or comment.
It certainly depends on the characteristics of group members as to whether or not they take to an online discussion group. If the group is made up of teenagers, government IT professionals, political activists, 20-something students, or online game designers, the online group is probably going to be oh-so-lively. But if the group is made up of government HR managers, or UN agency administrative assistants, or other very bureaucratic folks, it's probably going to be a very quiet online site.
What keeps online community members from talking online to each other? They:
- are afraid of putting their thoughts in writing because their written words might be deemed later as inappropriate by their supervisors or co-workers.
- don't want to sound "silly" because of how they phrase their question or comment.
- worry that their grammar or spelling isn't up to par, especially if English is not their fluent language.
- are uncomfortable putting a debate into writing.
- don't see the value in asking a question, commenting on a post or debating a topic.
- don't see anything essential about participating.
Notice I don't have they don't have time as a reason. That's because I don't believe it's a valid reason for not participating in an online discussion group. The same argument was used by many bureaucrats and company employees regarding desktop computers when they were first introduced to the work place; once those computers started becoming essential to their work, once they saw the value of those machines, they made time to use them. It's the same for an online discussion group.
There are ways to encourage members of an online discussion group to start talking online. These activities take months, not days or weeks, to get an online group more active:
- having a core group that commits to regularly posting information and regularly ask questions of each other when a new post is made, so other members start feeling more comfortable about posting themselves.
- referring to the online discussion groups in all onsite meetings and conferences, in print publications, etc.
- have an online event or focused-discussion, one with a definite start date and end date, one that can only be experienced, or can best be experienced, by logging into the group during the appointed time.
How have YOU taken a relatively silent online discussion group, especially one that is focused on professionals or volunteers, and turned it into a more lively online destination? Let's hear your ideas and experiences here.
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