Full Circle Associates

I wanted to link to DrumsNWistle's overview of an Anatomy of a Community Meltdown for two reasons. First of all, it is really useful to have real cases to help us think about online community dynamics, particularly those of conflict and even destruction. It gets us out of a theoretical rut. Second, I appreciate Karoli's take on the situation.

"These are the lessons I see with regard to this incident. I’m not going to say that this could have or should have been prevented, but it is sad to see a strong community fractured, and I think there are ways that the damage could be (and is being) minimized with preventive measures for the future."

What I'm noticing these days is our older online facilitation strategies, much like those that Karoli puts forth, aren't always working. I'm curious as to the why's and wherefore's of this, as well as wanting to explore the alternatives.

Our old methods were designed for boundaried online spaces. Our new communications world is networked, and things leak across boundaries. Karoli's noting that the community's issues were being discussed (and dismissed) on Slashdot is a case in point. So things like managing volunteers and enforcing rules, while they can play a very generative role, often backfire. The creative and destructive tension between control and emergence feels bigger than ever before.

I see both enlarged possibilities for online interactions, with the ability to connect and weave ideas and people across multiple networks. But there are naturally also greater risks that we will find it easier to walk away from dissent and divergence, rather than figuring out what to do, because it is easy to pick up one's toys and migrate to another sandbox. The only "home" we have is the experience of place we create in our minds. We have too many online spaces. It is also easier for people to "hit and run" to disrupt interactions of any form. Easy come, easy go.

The challenge is envisioning new alternatives. Have any ideas?