Creating Community Through Blogs, Part 1

The team for A Bigger Voice is getting ready to re-launch this blog as a group blog, by adding their voices to the mix on a regular basis.  In the process, we've collectively stumbled upon some great questions that you may be wondering about as well, when it comes to blogging:

1. Is it better to start with many places where "kindred spirits" can interact (e.g., social networking site with forums, Facebook group, LinkedIn group, Twitter, blog) or just one concentrated place?
2. Why focus on blogging as a way to create community?
3. What is the unspoken blog protocol for readers? What do readers who are new to blogs need to know?
4. What is the unspoken blog protocol for bloggers? What do new bloggers need to know about blogging as a medium for expression? As a medium for community-building?
5. What makes a good blog post? How is blog writing different from other forms of writing?
6. How do you create a conversation over time on a blog? How is a conversation on a blog different from a conversation in person? What are the limitations?
7. How are the expectations of digital natives different from digital immigrants, as a blog reader?

What questions do you have to add to this list?

I'm excited about the internal conversation among the team on these questions. It's real learning dialogue between individuals with a wide range of experiences in the blogosphere--from a social media expert who helps clients create good blogging "habits" to an avid consumer of blogs with vibrant communities to a digital immigrant who has limited exposure to blogs. About half of us are regular bloggers (consistent posts for two or more years on our own blogs) and half of us have never blogged. What's unfolding is a process that we all can learn from. Our "never ever" bloggers are asking questions that the experienced bloggers had overlooked. Experts on the team are pointing to existing resources to make starting easier and informing us of the nuances of titles, comments, and content.

It's a beautiful example of what can happen in a community--learning from each other, feeling valued for our contributions, and in the process, lifting up everyone.

As the team discusses the above questions, I'll post the nuggets here. In the meantime, give us more to think about by providing your own questions. Click on the comments link below.

Comments

[Ellen]

Another question: If you decide to go with one concentrated place for your blog, how do you attract people to your blog?

[Carol Ross]

Hi Ellen,

Thanks for that great question. I'll provide some ideas on attracting people to a blog as part of a series of postings--one posting for each question. Stay tuned.

Best,

Carol

[Sarah]

I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don't know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.

Sarah

http://www.craigslistdecoded.info

[carolross]

Thanks, Sarah, for posting a comment and letting me know you are reading this blog. This blog continues to be a labor of love and a way for me to explore with others the questions around turning an idea into a movement. Your comment on this particular posting also reminds me that since the above questions were posted, there haven't been a lot of answers provided!

Since you've been following this blog, let me ask you and others: What questions have been sparked for you in reading this blog? What information do you find most helpful? What information do you need now?