Discussion vs Community

Hobbes

I'm in the middle of reading "Cybersociety 2.0" and some of it is pretty intresting.

One of the points it has seems to relate well to boards.ie.

One of the effects of creating a discussion forum is the longer it exists the more likely it will turn into a community.

Now with a discussion forum, anything discussed normally follows the rules of the forum and while you have moderators and locals it is possible for a stranger to wander in, chat and leave.

With community forums, the locals know each other more, conversation gets more cryptic and flames tend to be a bit more rampant. It is also a frightning place for a stranger to wander into and expect to be accepted if they ask a simple question.

I don't think it says either is bad per se. But it's an intresting read of how to find a happy balance. So a lot of it seemed very apt towards the quake boards and the splitting up of the forums.

BossArky

Yeah, at the start it is like you have to build up a heap of browny points or something before people take you seriously.

amp

These here boards are like a smaller safer usenet.

Usenet is a harsh wild place. Didn't use to be.

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Lunacy Abounds! Play GLminesweeper!

Stephen

These boards are also spam-free (the commercial kind ) ... usenet is crawling with spam nowadays. I haven't been reading newsgroups since i "got into" these boards