The 10 Commandments of bearing and being a Social Network (part 3)

September 12, 2010 by ddeubel

I’ve spent A LOT of time on social networks. Probably much more time on forums (which I also consider SNs) than with blogs and the normal SN communities. It isn’t easy to create a successful community that is free and without pretense. And, with doing the time, comes some insider knowledge – some wisdom that everybody that’s done time garners.

Here, I will share in 5 posts, the notes of my mind, the crumbs and scratchings and conclusions I’ve arrived at through “doing time”. See numbers 1 and 2. and numbers 3,4,5. Let’s go!

What exists at registration – stays ad infinitum

The terms of membership upon registration can’t be changed without the consent of BOTH parties.

We see this all the time – promise the world, say everything is “free and open with possibility” to get them in and then, BAAM! – the knife goes to the members’ throats and it is “pay or else”. Now I’m dramatizing but in essence this is what many websites and SNs do. They lure members in with free promises. Look, you have all this that is free! Sign up your students! Start a cooking group! And then one day, they decide that you have to pay for what was once free, “the audacity!” Let’s not call it that – let’s say, “the criminality”! It truely is a crime, this new trend from free to premium in one fell swoop, without continuing existing member’s initial agreement. Ning did it and it happens all the time. Where once you had no ads, all of a sudden there are ads – you ask, that wasn’t the agreement? and they huff and haw but in the end say – “my way or the highway”. There should be a better business bureau for online businesses and a SN shouldn’t be allowed to change the TOS (terms of service ) that existed upon registration (nor have in the TOS – “we can change them without warning whenever we want” – what an asinine concept but many have this written in).

No Social Network is an Island

Just like there are so many blogs that get started and then are dropped – so too, many SNs that with much fanfair start and then just fade away. The graveyard of social networks is vast. What it means is that no matter how attractive, how many features, how hard you try and “be there” and get conversation going – it is going to take more. A SN can’t exist alone – it must make connections with the wider world and bring in “food” to sustain it. This means outside content (vis RSS, Widgets), this means outside people (guest bloggers, invitations), this means presence elsewhere (like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr etc). This means that members and especially the creator, need to foster strong relationships with other SNs and other online entities – or starve.

The 10 Commandments of bearing and being a Social Network

September 10, 2010 by ddeubel

Here, I will share in 5 posts, the notes of my mind, the crumbs and scratchings and conclusions I’ve arrived at through “doing time”. See numbers 1 and 2. Let’s go!

All Content follows the member who created/added it.

Social Networks are built of the work, thoughts, ideas, additions, videos, musings, mumblings, blogs, tweets and blatherings of EACH MEMBER. They are communal and if a member packs up house or gets a “go to jail card” – their contributions should go with them. It is not owned by the site. I don’t know how often I’ve seen SN creators get in a dispute with a member and then ban them, yet keep their contribution! This is theft, it truly is. I remember one network even ask me to buy their network (I’d put up about 60% of the content) or else he’d send all my work to hell by deleting the network! There is one large social network, Dave’s ESL Cafe which I loath for the fact they ban members who’ve helped by posting thousands of times – never for a moment recognizing their hard work. I seldom post there anymore (and for other reasons, I’ll post in commandment 9).

I’ve set up our community so that if a member so chooses to leave or if there is some kind of disagreement, their content is deleted across the community. This is fair, this is the law.

Privacy is paramount and must be actively protected AND transparent.

Facebook learned this the hard way. But it is paramount that all social networks have strong and user friendly privacy settings. IMHO, Facebook still fails and breaks this commandment. Their privacy settings are not simple and you’ll need a special diploma to manage them.

But more than just having strong privacy settings, a network should ACTIVELY promote them and make members aware of them. It isn’t always easy but I try to do this. Making members aware that my newsletter has an unsubscribe link at the bottom is my next one. A network should include mention of tutorials on how to use settings and turn off/delete. This is important. We have them, why doesn’t FB?

It’s about the people, stupid!

Never participate in a SN which does not have people with a face, people who care, people who contact you behind the electronic curtain. You put a lot of trust in things when you post and share and form relationships online. You need to know there is a “real” person behind the scenes who is involved and responsible.(not like Dave’s cafe – he hasn’t been there for years). I try to be on EFL Classroom and greet as many people as I can. Mostly, so they know it isn’t a business or con or will be deleted – no, they know it is personal, lasting and with soul.

I’ve seen too many networks that don’t have this. Too many that are soulless, just thousands of people (like FB) but without a person there, looking after things. My advice, keep people in the fore and keep it personal! Show who you are.

Stay tuned for the last 5 SN commandments! (ps. note this was cross blog posted using ?Livewriter? ? I?ll be sharing about that soon).

Then 10 commandments of bearing and being a social network

September 8, 2010 by ddeubel

Here, I will share in 5 posts, the notes of my mind, the crumbs and scratchings and conclusions I’ve arrived at through “doing time”. Let’s go!

Nobody, not even YOU, owns a social network.

Often I get introduced as, “the guy who owns “xxxx”" Couldn’t be a more inaccurate and false statement about me. Even, “created” would be wrong. SNs are alive, they aren’t built but nurtured and inflamed. I’ve learned that SNs are about thought and process. They aren’t static commodities like houses or even your next meal. They are atoms that twirl and spin and most importantly collide. There is no hiding from this fact – you may have started the fire but it is for others to throw wood on it, to continue the inhertance. If anyone “owns” a SN, it is those of the moment, who are stoking it. Not the guy with the face and the idea. It is like giving birth. The moment it/he/she is born, they are no longer yours. This also means, like human “beings” , you can’t buy, sell or trade in SN commodities. Merely abandon (with the necessary condemnation).

Surf softly and carry a big CLICK.

Paramount to the success of a SN is that there is a cop. But a cop that knows the line and doesn’t blather. A cop that keeps the atmosphere correct. I’ve been on so many SNs which are full of expletives and “he said, she said”…. Full of adhoc and whimsical deletions of posts. This isn’t right, it is ungodly. Let most go but know your limits and then CLICK goodbye. No explanation given – they’ll know.