The observation period on the Community Paper is winding down, and I ended up picking an interesting pair of writing forums to monitor. This is especially true when it comes to actively participating on the SFF forum, since they're much friendlier than the people on WD. It's odd but a little unsurprising that a small, fan-based community works together better than a large, corporate one.
The main reason I picked a set of forums for this paper is familiarity; they're the main way I've participated online since I first started using the Internet. Twitter is faster and blogs have more detail in their posts, but forums provide a more reliable structure for conversations. Of course they also foster social problems while uniting a community, and I've watched from afar as boards have melted down and spun off from each other in the wake of controversies and fights. Still, I don't see forums and message boards vanishing, not while so many users are comfortable with them (and as long as the basic software is cheap or even free).
I agree with the points made in your blog. I also picked a set of forums for the paper because I felt they were more structured. You do point out that even forums can be volatile but I find that if members and moderators follow the set of rules posted on the forum, it can remain a safe place for a long time. I am definitely a user that is comfortable with forums and I gather a tremendous amount of support and encouragement from its members. Have you had a similar experience?
ReplyDeleteI agree with the points made in your blog. I also picked a set of forums for the paper because I felt they were more structured. You do point out that even forums can be volatile but I find that if members and moderators follow the set of rules posted on the forum, it can remain a safe place for a long time. I am definitely a user that is comfortable with forums and I gather a tremendous amount of support and encouragement from its members. Have you had a similar experience?
ReplyDelete