What sorts of posts elicit replies?
1. Not being a newcomer.
2. Post on topic.
3. Use first person, I, and convey what you are thinking and feeling.
4. Ask a question.
5. Use simple language.
John Norris
Five ways to get replies to your posts.
Members, Benefits, Sustaining, and Getting Work Done
When Dr. Brian Butler, et al, surveyed about 3000 listserv members about who does what work in a community, their found they correlate to the benefits individuals get from the community. This knowledge can be a big help to Community Managers.
Five findings that struck me and what they may prescribe-
Owners spent more time creating content than reading it. Knowing this a CM should be aware of this potential blind spot and be sure to keep up with what the community is saying.
Online gym buddies better than being alone.
Nice study done by B Irwin shows that having a partner that exercises with you at the same time, even if online, is significantly better than going it alone. (Like twice as better!!)
This is a big win for why one would want to schedule simultaneous events. Also, if I have members that want/need to do more on an individual task, it is great to know I can bring in an online partner and get some well known group dynamics going.
Another aspect of this paper is that having a stronger online partner can help motivate the other.
Aerobic Exercise Is Promoted when Individual Performance Affects the Group: A Test of the Kohler Motivation Gain Effect B Irwin Annals of Behavioral Medicine Volume 17 / 1995 – Volume 43 / 2012 Link to paper Link to article.
Network Stats Provide Insight into Those with Depression
S Chellappan took a bit of a different tact when he looked at internet usage via network stats, then compared that to where his users fell on a depressive scale. He found that there were different patterns for those ranked higher in depression. 1
The paper interpreted the stats as showing depressed students had:
- More video and gaming use.
- More switching between applications.
- Greater peer to peer file sharing.
- Greater chatting.
- More email usage, including merely checking for messages.
Just finished up How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie as it is recommended for Community Managers by Richard Millington. Nicely brought into the open and formalized much of what I have intuitively felt. Also admired the teaching technique with the stories first. I’m keeping Dale’s 80 year old list handy as a reminder in this new world.
