Comments on: What is your online community’s added value?

By: Don’t be jealous of other online communities - just be better! | Online Communities | Build an Online Community

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 20:52:36 +0000

[...] online community needs to be unique. Focus on what your competitors aren’t doing. You need to add value to your online community – you can’t do that if you are too busy putting yourself down and wasting your energy on [...]

By: The ‘Community’ Website Design Element «

The ‘Community’ Website Design Element « — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:46:43 +0000

[...] Martin (2008) What is your online comunity’s added value?�[Internet] Available from: http://www.communityspark.com/what-is-your-online-communitys-added-value/�Accessed: October 9, [...]

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:35:55 +0000

Dan – Yes, I agree that communities do change and evolve over time – this is a natural progression. However, it is extremely difficult to influence the character and behaviour of your community once it has a firmly established personality. As your community develops, you will become far less of an influencer – that is why it’s important to get these things right early on.

By: dan

dan — Fri, 09 May 2008 23:06:20 +0000

Another great article with an idea that’s surprisingly often not mentioned – we do the forums not for ourselves, but for the visitors (of course we DO it for ourselves, too, but that has to be secondary…). When I’m involved in a forum startup, since some time I always proceed only when we’re able to answer the question: What’s In It For The People? Ie, why should they donate us their time and typing energy, what is it that they get in return? We have to think of our visitors indeed very “selfishly”

re: �it can be extremely difficult to change the character of your community once a personality has been established.” – I see it a bit more complex… From my experience, the character of the community evolves, especially with the community size. THere’s something about increased visitor / member counts that shifts the atmosphere and personality, at least as I’ve witnessed… I’ve seen quite a few times members disappointed because the personality changed – perhaps not much, but as people come and go (and mostly come than go), they bring their own “personalities” and it’s only that much that a moderator/admin can influence.. It’s one of the most fascinating elements for me on the forums to observe how their personalities evolve..

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:32:09 +0000

Smiley – Yes, I believe a1chat-rooms.com runs completely from that script. They definitely moved their emphasis away from chat rooms and more into a social network a good few years ago.

I have looked at Dolphin too, and would advise you to do your research. I have heard good and bad things, with the bad being talk of inefficient, bloated and sometimes buggy code and poor support. On the flip side, it is of course free and open source.

By: Smiley

Smiley — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 04:02:41 +0000

Interesting script though that eMeeting, looks like A1 runs completely off that script. To say they’re one of the oldest, biggest chat sites………. it said users in chat (0). (Probably due to the fact that people don’t like to register just to chat!)
I think it’s best used in the way you’ve used it. Optional profile that adds to the site, rather than BEING the site its self.

I’ve been looking at; http://www.boonex.com/products/dolphin/ for quite a while. Looks interesting.

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 02:09:56 +0000

Smiley - It took me a long period of searching to find that one, and I stripped off most of the features such as chat and the integrated proprietary message boards. Way back in the past I used MojoPersonals, but it took a hell of a lot of customising.

By: Smiley

Smiley — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:48:10 +0000

Looks too big for what I’m after. Has in-built chat rooms and everything! D’oh

By: Smiley

Smiley — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 21:44:17 +0000

Thanks, will take a gander.

Ohhh – A1 chat rooms use it. Wonder why I never came across it. I’ve been googling “profile script” for months! LOL

By: Martin Reed - Blog Author

Martin Reed - Blog Author — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:59:30 +0000

Remove - I am glad you enjoyed the article, thanks for your comment. Smiley - I used software from eMeeting for our epals section.