Building Web Communities, Continued

Howard Rheingold: "Civil discourse"

Howard Rheingold is one the Net's most well-known community builders. He has written a book on the topic (Virtual Communities, the full text of which is available on the Web) and formerly ran Electric Minds, which is now defunct. Howard offers some insights into the importance of a good moderator in an article called "The Art of Hosting Good Conversations."

The role of a host

The importance of a committed moderator is often overlooked by community builders. In Howard Rheingold's view, a good host is not just a conversation starter (as a party host is). A host also fills other roles, such as:

• an authority, or enforcer of rules
• an exemplar, or one who models behaviors
• a cybrarian, or guide to community information
• a character/participant
• a member of a community of hosts

Communities evolve

One of the most interesting points that Howard makes is that communities are organic: they evolve. As he says in The Art of Hosting Good Conversations, "Communities can't be manufactured, but you can design the conditions under which they are most likely to emerge, and encourage their growth when they do." He also likens communities to gardens, which need care and maintenance to thrive over time.

Based on Howard's writings, it would seem there are three broad phases to this evolution: structure, involvement, and independence. A host first plans conditions and provides rules (structure), laying the groundwork for a web community. As the community evolves, the host still needs to provide attention and intervention when needed (involvement). Howard points out that, eventually, "each community will want the tools and opportunity to make their own rules. This can be facilitated by means of a process handbook for democratic decision-making, and access to people who have experienced the process themselves." This final step allows for growth, self-government, and collaborative work (independence).

To follow Howard Rheingold's writings or apply to join his private web conference, Brainstorms, visit his web site.

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