Community Costs

One assumption underlying some client conversations I have is that community comes cheap.  It may have something to do with the hippy-trippy quality of the word.  Unfortunately, it's just not true.  As the splendid Community Guy notes it can often cost more than some traditional techniques - mainly because there is a start-up stage.  But this is really just an investment like any other.  One that, over time, will create a valuable asset.  However, the classic comment about open source software is highly relevant: "Linux is only free if your time has no value."  Community building is about smart people spending time building relationships in a way that machines will never do.  Make no mistake community is all about being cost-effective - not cheap-and-cheerful.

Comments

[Sarah]

Nice post well written! And in fact well said! Community organising and participation all take time. What value do you put on your own time and for that matter other people's time.

I often wonder how many people thank others in the online community for solving a problem that they themselves would take hours to fix if it weren't for some nice person documenting the solutions to issues online.

[James Cherkoff]

Thanks Sarah, when it comes to community building it can be hard to measure the impact? Any tips?

[Jake McKee]

Thanks for the kind words!

Love the Linux quote!

[Sarah]

We measure our impact through the reach of our network and through the feedback that we get from our members. The day that we aren't helping or people no longer feel the need for such a network is the day that we will fold up and move on to something else.

Another way of looking at impact is to ask people where the value in the community lies. Look at the information, the connections, the ability to create change and so on. There are all powerful things within communities. Also look at the number of members and how many are active participants.

I hope that helps!

[James Cherkoff]

Hi Sarah, that's great. I'd love to hear more about how people measure community effectiveness - formally or informally. Anyone else?

[Daniel Mcgonagle]

Thanks for the heads up! Really great post. That's a must-read I must
say. :)