Community development
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I’m online again and have been reading news of the last few days. So I’m kind of late to discussion about friendliness of communities.
My personal experience with Python community has been absolutely wonderful. I’ve written posts that could be seen as inflammatory, but the response I’ve got was just amazing. I haven’t been nailed to the cross for it and have learned a lot from people I admire, who took the time to leave a comment on my blog for which I’m really grateful. A couple of days ago I needed help developing atom feeds and got it immediately.
I find Python community very friendly and forthcoming, but I also believe Ian is right that Ruby might feel more friendly simply because a kind of youthful innocence. I wouldn’t really know, since I don’t use the language or follow up their discussions. I have however experienced in other communities the problem of a disconnect between old timers and newer members, who don’t share cultural history just yet. I think this is inevitable, since experience unlike knowledge can’t be easily given.
On the other hand, I have a different problem with web related talks we’re organizing. It’s been our goal from the start to use talks as a conduit for slovenian web community building, which hasn’t happened to the extent I was hoping for. Our talks are well attended, but at the end our audience mostly leaves, which kind of saddens me. I’d like to get them more engaged, but I have no idea if the problem lies with us, organizers, or is just a result of slovenian culture.
I guess community building is just hard.
Why would they stay?
I think it didn’t seem that anyone was interested in them staying. Regular geeks just started talking and kind of ignored everyone else. Maybe we could arrage seats in the end and invite people for a dabate?
Comment by Sebastjan — November 3, 2005 @ 7:35 pm
Precisely because there are people talking and it might be interesting to join? I don’t know really.
I’m doubtful about your idea though. First, I’d want an informal setting, where you talk to whomever you want and not a panel like environment. Second, by the time you’ve arranged them, they’re gone anyway.
I think main problem is that we don’t know each other and if you’re introvert like me, it’s damn hard to start talking to a stranger. So, the question becomes, how do we become acquainted?
Comment by markos — November 3, 2005 @ 7:46 pm
Does everybody know they’re invited to stay? Was that explicitely said to them and repeated before the start of each lecture? I wouldn’t stay if I saw a group of acquaintances chatting privately among themselves.
Comment by tina — November 4, 2005 @ 4:53 pm