Steve Hargadon - Classroom 2.0

In response to Steve's article: Some Things I've Learned About Building Effective Social Networks

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If you Build It, Will They Come?
"You don't really know what social networking sites you create will take off or succeed."

I totally agree with Steve's point! Over the years, I have built many online sites and methods for social interaction. Some have been flops and others have reached various degrees of success. I have learned that you must nurture your efforts and not expect too much. I have never tried to build a group in order to create an income, but have focused on getting folks together based upon a common interest for the benefit of the participants. Like all online groups, you will find few who actively participate and many who are known as "lurkers."

Transparent...
"There is very real value in "moderating" or "guiding" your network. Being polite matters. Setting boundaries matters."

I have had a few bad experiences with folks who just wanted to create disruptions. The first disruptions hurt personally. So did the first few times that people left a group dissatisfied. I learned to not take it personally and to never deal with disruptions in public. I also had to learn how to keep the members from ganging up for or against the disruptive member or members. Being "transparent" is an essential skill that must be used carefully and in the right situations. My most successful online group is the Internet Only Mac User's Group which has over 15,000 members with over 1,300 actively participating in a daily mailing list with Yahoo Groups.