Monday, August 18, 2008
another thought about community involvement
On the way to work this morning I had this extra thought. I've been really busy in the last couple of weeks and have put my involvement in the FOC08 community to one side. But I always knew it was only temporary - as I have more than enough interest in the people and the content to draw me back. Perhaps that's the difference between 'actual' community and 'virtual' community, if I ignore my family, workmates or friends for two weeks I'll be in big trouble - but in this environment a quiet period doesn't necessary mean I'm not coming back. Us on-line facilitators should remember that!
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5 comments:
I don't know about that. This is a course and we have a responsibility to eachother. I'm blogging and I need to know that people are reading my blog. I need you to process and respond to my posts. If you are just going to come and go and not be here when you are needed, then that makes me set you in the "Inactive Member" catagory. In a real community you belong, and this is a real community in which you are needed. I need you to respond to Leigh's questions in order to get the energy to continue my own blogging. I may even like to work on a project with you for the upcoming Conference, but I need you to be dependable. And if you are going to present a project with other people, you want them to be there through the whole process. You can do whatever you want in a virtual community but I'm here for real community where you and I both belong and depend upon eachother. I mean, just my take and smiles and everything.
I think you might have misconstrued - I have definitely been a lurker rather than a contributor over the last couple of weeks, but that doesn't mean I haven't been reading, doing my homework(albiet a bit late) and thinking about the course. I just wanted to compare it to how I cope with people waxing and waning in my own community and how even though I might see it as them not being interested it doesn't mean they aren't still committed - it's just that life gets in the way sometimes.
And actually Artie I am dependable.
If you knew me, you'd know that.
p.s how anyone can keep up with the e-mail list on this course is a mystery to me. Can you?
Hi Deb,
Message recieved. I very often will post things in a hurry while dashing around the Web just to let people know that someone is reading and thinking. Of course, skimming a post in 2 minutes that someone took an hour to think and write does not qualify as "reading", and thinking takes even more time. After I left this message, I thought more about my own involvement in communities and recall how often I was in and out. I work with a community for a few months, then take off. Sometimes, after I've accomplished a goal, I'm gone for years.
But then Deb, in that respect, isn't online community very much like offline?
And thanks for posting on my blog. I needed that.
Hi Deb. Just read your post on my blog.
"I like the idea of the mini-groups to connect the dots - but have no idea how to do it? can you let me know how?"
I suppose it would be good to jest get a third blogger and meet on the groupchat in gmail. We can try different combinations of people and pass the word around about who's blogging what.
see ya,
artie
Deb
I just read your post on my blog. Thank you. Maybe we can be "buddies in the back" or something. I could use one to keep encouraging me along.
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