“Managing Online Forums”: Not Just For Forums!
I love forums. There are tons of forums out there, including many, many large forums. Contrary to what some may say, forums are not dead. Far from it, I don’t think forums always get the credit they deserve in the age of MySpace, Facebook and the like.
Forums are an incredibly important part of the social web and where the bulk of my online community management experience is based out of. As such, the book focuses on forums and is named “Managing Online Forums”. I’m proud to say we got a “forums” book published. That’s awesome.
That said, I think that it’s important for it to be known that this book is not just for managing online forums. And that’s why I have launched a new page on the book website. This page is dedicated to briefly explaining how this book is not just valuable for people who manage online forums, but also for people who manage any or most types of social interaction online. Here is the content of the page:
The word forums is in the title of the book and the book itself is focused on forums. That much is true. But, this is not a book that is only for forums. This is a practical guide to managing social interaction online. Besides just forums, this can also include:
Blogs
The most successful blogs are communities, in and of themselves, that need to be managed, including blog comments and interaction between readers.
Groups
Groups and forums share a number of similarities - mainly, people talking and discussing issues. While the media may be different, the result is often similar and many of the same principles apply.
Chat Rooms
Chat rooms, like groups, are home to interaction between people. This interaction needs to be managed so that the chat room can flourish. This includes the creation of guidelines and firm, but fair enforcement of them, just like forums.
Social Networking
Yes, even social networking sites feature discussion between people. In fact, forums represent an important feature for many social networks. They may or may not call them “forums” depending on the site - but, they often have similar features and are, more or less, forums by a different name.
In so many words, this book can be a valuable part of the arsenal for anyone charged with managing any location online that allows people to interact, talk, discuss issues and get help, whether or not they are called “forums”.
