When community loses its luster

The construction of any community follows any good movie plot line. We build up anticipation ((Woohoo, Twitter!)), get some exposition ((Meetups)), have some great action sequences ((Cool events like PodCamps, Ignites and TEDx)), plateau a bit ((Planning periods between events)), climax ((Get recognized by the mainstream)) and then gradually falls apart. If the Phoenix metro community was a trilogy, it would be the Matrix.

We are supposed to get better. We are supposed to all hang out more. We are supposed to overcome our differences.

But we aren’t. In fact, I don’t think most of us like each other all that much. Problem is that we pretend to. As many would agree, that doesn’t matter in the long run, but it’s tough to get excited about hanging out with people you a) are bored with or b) can’t be honest with.

The solution is simple: it’s time to branch out. It’s time to take the philosophies that social media has enabled so many of us to live by and apply them to more people. It’s not enough to be on Twitter. It’s not enough to be on Facebook. It means you have to share. Not share like Mark Zuckerberg wants you to, but share in a way that we all can learn from.

No more tech-only events where only the geeks are invited. No more meetups organized solely via Twitter. No more Facebook-only campaigns. No more relying on a few scant people to come up with all the ideas.

If you want fresh ideas, you have to go where they exist.

And that’s outside.

Tagged as: Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, Mass media, Online Communities, Privacy, social media, Social network, twitter