

Building Communities with Software - twoz
http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BuildingCommunitieswithSo.html

======
twoz
This fine article is from 2003 (oldie but goodie).

 _So posting rules is just a way to insult the majority of the law-abiding
citizens and it doesn't deter the morons who think their own poo smells
delicious and nothing they post could possibly be against the rules._

Here's a link to posted forum guidelines dated 2006:

<http://www.ericsink.com/entries/BOS_Guidelines.html>

No registration necessary in '03:

 _But requiring registration does NOT improve the quality of the conversation
or the average quality of the participants._

Sifting through archive.org, even in late '07, users didn't have to register
but were being gently nudged into creating accounts as anonymous posts would
most likely be deleted.

In 2009, you'll now find that you can no longer post/reply unless you
register:

 _This community works best when people use their real names. Please register
for a free account._

What changed?

I'd really love to hear an updated take on this topic from Joel himself.

Any differences in creating or nurturing an online community now compared to 6
years ago?

Any new challenges?

~~~
adsyoung
Yes, an update would be great if you're around Joel?

Aside from Joel and Clay Shirky
(<http://shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.html>) does anyone have any other
must read links on this type of thing?

~~~
raghus
Philip Greenspun: <http://philip.greenspun.com/panda/community>

------
tokenadult
"Creating community, in any case, is a noble goal, because it's sorely missing
for so many of us. Let's keep plugging away at it."

Hear. Hear.

The principle of no meanness that pg mentions so often is one great way to
start. The software defaults suggested in the submitted article have testable
effects on user behavior: I'm curious what tests of software defaults other HN
readers have tried in forums that you administer. Do you enjoy reading a forum
better, for instance, when you follow Joel's suggestion of making the reply
button out of view for anyone who doesn't read down to the bottom of a thread?

------
rgrieselhuber
Regarding the third place mentioned in this post: a piece with a similar
concept came across my reader the other day.

It was based on a critique of modern American religion (albeit from a
religious perspective) and talked about the need for what the author calls
"triangulation" in social settings.

[http://gatheringinlight.com/2009/03/02/the-ironic-gesture-
of...](http://gatheringinlight.com/2009/03/02/the-ironic-gesture-of-the-
church/)

Regardless of the religious content in the article, I thought it interesting
to note the similarity of concepts from an anthropological perspective.

One could speculate that the virtualization of many of our relationships has
the potential to fill similar needs that the religious seek to fill in
worship.

