User Engagement The Evolution of Community Understanding: The Gap

[Cedric]

As your forum continues to grow and evolve, it becomes increasingly clear that not everyone sees your community through the same lens. It's an important lesson that we learn on our journey as a community leader.

When we start something from scratch, we pour our hearts and souls into it. We know every nook and cranny, every rule, every unwritten norm. But as our community matures, so do its members. You'll have a mix of experienced veterans who've been here from the beginning and newcomers who bring fresh ideas and perspectives.

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One thing we need to keep in mind is that these newcomers might not grasp the community's ethos as deeply as we do. They haven't lived through the trials and triumphs, and they might interpret things differently. That's not a bad thing – it's an opportunity for growth and enrichment.

So, here are a few questions to kick off the discussion:

1. How have you noticed the understanding of your community's values evolve as it grows? Any challenges or successes you'd like to share?
2. What strategies have you employed to bridge the gap between your deep community knowledge and the newcomers' perspectives?
3. Have you encountered any specific instances where differing levels of community understanding led to positive outcomes or challenges that needed addressing?

So, how do we strike a balance? How can we ensure that our community remains welcoming and inclusive to both long-time members and new arrivals? How can we communicate our values and culture effectively without being overly prescriptive?

I'm eager to hear your thoughts and experiences on this matter. Share your insights below, and let's learn from each other's experiences!

 

[ClicketyKat]

I've been saying for a while on FP that we need to view things through the newbie's lens. Forums as a whole can be entirely overwhelming to those who are new to forums overall. Even on Christianity Haven, which I thought was a simple layout, a friend told me it was too intimidating because she didn't know what to click on. Those are the newbies I have in mind...but where is the balance between helping them learn and not insulting your long time userbase who expects more?

 

[joelr]

I've thought about this question a lot and it's one we should be asking ourselves more. Way too often we actually view our community through the lens of the narrowest view: ourselves. We have to consciously keep unwinding our beliefs back to the newbie level.

Some thoughts:
- The most experienced voices may be the loudest but they don't represent the silent majority (not even the newbies).
- Simplicity is golden. There is a mistake belief that more features equals a better community, which is not true at all, or that features can be replacement for the most compelling purpose of your community (your content, your conversation, etc).