Название: The Rise of Virtual Communities: In Conversation with Virtual World Pioneers
Автор: Amber Atherton
Издательство: Apress
Год: 2023
Страниц: 187
Язык: английский
Формат: pdf, epub, mobi
Размер: 10.1 MB

Uncover the fascinating history of virtual communities and how we connect to each other online. The Rise of Virtual Communities, explores the earliest online community platforms, mapping the technological evolutions, and the individuals, that have shaped the culture of the internet.

Read in-depth interviews with the visionary founders of iconic online platforms, and uncover the history of virtual communities and how the industry has developed over time. Featuring never-before told stories, this exploration introduces new ideas and predictions for the future, explaining how we got here and challenging what we think we may know about building online communities.

One common misconception, I’ve noticed, is the idea that “community” and “customers” are synonymous terms. They aren’t. Understanding how they differ is critical, so let’s start there. The people who interact with your product generally fall into one of four buckets:

• Customers/users buy and/or use your product.
• Evangelists tell everyone they know to buy or use your product because they genuinely love it.
• Community is the group of people who’ve found belonging and utility through your product.
• Ambassadors are incentivized, through payments or rewards, to promote your product.

What distinguishes community members from those in other groups is the congregation element: beyond using, liking, or writing glowing reviews of your product, they spend time forming connections with other people based on a shared affinity for it.

Three of these groups reliably emerge in a fixed order: users/customers come first, followed by evangelists, and then community. Ambassadors don’t fit neatly into this sequence, so you’ll need to make a decision about their relationship to the other three groups. Even though ambassador endorsements aren’t organic, they still help spread awareness of your product to new segments and markets. Ambassadors range from nano-influencers and affiliates to well-known celebrities, and they can collectively become a community in their own right, with gamified rankings and events. Generally speaking, my advice is to build an ambassador program that functions separately from the other three groups.

Readers will:

Learn what a virtual community is and how it has become an integral part of modern society
Review key insights into building virtual communities and platforms from the founders and pioneers who created them
See what the current developments and the potential challenges are related to the future of virtual communities

Who is this for:
Community managers, company founders and those who want to know more about the origins and future of virtual communities.

Interviews Include:

Randy Farmer & Chip Morningstar – Lucasfilm Games ‘Habitat’ and creators of the modern Avatar
Howard Rheingold - Community expert and member of the WELL
Stacy Horn - Founder of Echo NYC
Jim Bumgardner - Founder of The Palace
Philip Rosedale - Founder of Second Life
Sampo Karjalainen - Co-founder of Habbo Hotel
Lance Priebe - Co-Founder of Club Penguin
Angelo Sotira - Co-Founder of Deviant Art
Caterina Fake - Co-Founder of Flickr
Alexis Ohanian- Founder of Reddit
Kevin Rose – Co-Founder of Digg & PROOF Collective
Jason Citron - Founder of Discord
Trevor McFedries - Founder of FWB & Brud
Cherie Hu - Founder of Water & Music
Michelle Kennedy - Founder of Peanut

This book is an excellent read for any founder or leader looking to learn how to build community from the very best. - Jessica Sibley, CEO, TIME Inc

Reading this book is a masterclass in managing and designing communities. - Greg Isenberg, Community Expert