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@harrisonqian / Connection & Community Playbook / wiki/online-community.md
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--- visibility: public-edit --- # online community building [[building-community|building community]] in digital spaces is a different game than IRL. the tools are different, the failure modes are different, and the bar for what "connection" means is lower. but online communities can be powerful — especially as a complement to in-person gatherings. --- ## discord server design discord is the default platform for builder/creator communities. it's flexible, free, and most people under 30 already have an account. but most discord servers are ghost towns. ### what works **fewer channels, more activity.** the #1 mistake is creating 30 channels on day one. nobody posts in #random-thoughts and #cool-links and #introduce-yourself when there are 12 members. start with 3-4 channels max: - **#general** — the main feed. everything goes here until the volume justifies splitting. - **#introductions** — new members post who they are and what they're working on. pin good ones. - **#showcase** — share what you've built or are building. the discord equivalent of socratica demos. - **#resources** — links, articles, tools people find useful. add channels only when an existing channel has too much volume on a specific topic. **daily or weekly prompts.** a scheduled message that asks a question: "what are you working on this week?" or "what's one thing you learned recently?" — these are digital [[icebreakers]] gives people a low-barrier reason to post. the first few weeks, the organizer answers their own prompts to model participation. **voice channels used regularly.** text-only communities feel transactional. schedule a weekly "open office hours" or "co-working voice channel" — adapting [[event-formats|IRL event formats]] to digital where people drop in and work together with mics on. the ambient presence of other people working is powerful. **roles that mean something.** don't create 15 vanity roles. roles should indicate something useful: what someone's working on, what they can help with, whether they're a new or established member. ### what kills discord servers - **too many channels too early** — the graveyard effect. 20 empty channels signals "nobody is here." - **no moderation norms** — one bad actor can poison the vibe. set norms early and enforce them. - **announcements-only energy** — if the admins only post announcements and never engage in conversation, it feels like a broadcast channel, not a community. - **no regular cadence** — without recurring events (weekly calls, daily prompts, monthly demos), the server has no heartbeat. --- ## slack community dynamics slack is better for professional/industry communities. it feels more "work" and less "hangout" than discord — which can be a feature or a bug. ### what works **threading culture.** the single biggest difference between good and bad slack communities. if every conversation happens in the main channel, it becomes unreadable. communities that use threads well stay useful at scale. **focused, high-signal channels.** slack communities that thrive tend to have: - a #jobs channel (people share and find opportunities) - a #help channel (ask questions, get answers) - a #launches channel (share what you shipped) - a #introductions channel the value proposition is clear: you get access to a network, opportunities, and knowledge. ### what kills slack communities - **notification fatigue** — if every channel is active, members mute the workspace and never come back. - **no clear value.** "a slack for [demographic]" isn't enough. people need a reason to check it daily. --- ## twitter/X community building twitter isn't a "community platform" in the traditional sense, but some of the strongest communities emerge from twitter interactions. ### how it works **the reply-first strategy.** you don't build a twitter community by posting — you build it by engaging with other people's posts. thoughtful replies on someone's thread get you noticed faster than your own thread. **the small group DM.** twitter group DMs of 5-15 people are some of the tightest communities online. they're invite-only, high-trust, and often more honest than any public conversation. **building in public.** sharing your work, learnings, and failures publicly attracts people on a similar path. public work leads to organic [[introductions]]. "here's what i built this week" tweets create a breadcrumb trail that like-minded people follow. ### what doesn't work - **engagement farming.** "like this tweet if you agree!" feels hollow. people who optimize for engagement metrics rarely build real communities. - **growth hacking.** follow-for-follow, engagement pods, and viral thread templates build numbers, not community. - **being always-on.** the platform is designed to be addictive — don't let it consume you. --- ## online + IRL: the hybrid model the strongest communities have both an online and in-person presence. the online space keeps the community alive between events — a form of [[relationship-maintenance]] at scale. the in-person events create the depth that online can't. **the pattern:** - IRL events create the foundation of trust and shared experience - the online space maintains the connection between events - online conversations surface topics for the next IRL gathering - IRL relationships make online conversations richer (you're texting with people you've actually met) socratica has a discord for coordination, but the real community happens in-person on sundays. builder communities often have a slack for async collaboration and monthly in-person demos. **the trap:** substituting online activity for IRL presence. if your "community" is just a discord server, it's a chat room. the in-person component is what makes it a community. --- ## moderation communities die from two moderation extremes: - **too little:** one toxic member drives away ten good members. by the time you act, the culture is already damaged. - **too much:** over-moderation kills spontaneity. if every message feels policed, people stop posting anything real. clear rules published upfront (3-5 rules max), consistent enforcement, and a culture where members self-moderate by modeling good behavior. --- ## platform dependency building your community entirely on someone else's platform means you're one policy change away from losing everything. own an email list. have a backup communication channel. the community is the people, not the tool. see [[books-resources]] for deeper thinking on gathering design. --- ## tools comparison | platform | best for | group size | depth of connection | effort to maintain | |---|---|---|---|---| | discord | builder/creator communities, gaming, under-30 | 10-5000 | medium | medium | | slack | professional/industry communities | 50-5000 | medium | medium-high | | twitter/X | public community building, thought leadership | unbounded | low-medium | high | | group DMs (any platform) | tight inner circles | 5-15 | high | low | | email list | announcements, long-form, resilient | unbounded | low | low | | whatsapp/signal group | local groups, family, close friends | 5-50 | medium-high | low |