Comments on: I hate Community Management

By: Red

Red — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 00:23:00 +0000

“Manager” is a tough word – it’s in my job title too, as many who’ve already commented on this topic.

I like gardening/farming metaphors since I grew up on a mini-farm. Some I can think of off the top of my head:
- Weeding out the really bad comments (foul language, racist/sexist, vulgar, spam, etc.)
- Throwing out the bad apples before they spoil the rest
- Planting quality content for conversations to grow on
- Leaving room for the animals to exercise so they don’t go stir crazy (I equate horses needing room to roam in a pasture to smart people needing a place to explore their creative/innovative sides with some freedom.)
- Let the barking dog off the chain and it’ll shut up (Rough wording there, but sometimes if you let go a little bit, the “tough” ones get a little easier to manage.)

By: Red

Red — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 21:23:32 +0000

“Manager” is a tough word – it's in my job title too, as many who've already commented on this topic.

I like gardening/farming metaphors since I grew up on a mini-farm. Some I can think of off the top of my head:
- Weeding out the really bad comments (foul language, racist/sexist, vulgar, spam, etc.)
- Throwing out the bad apples before they spoil the rest
- Planting quality content for conversations to grow on
- Leaving room for the animals to exercise so they don't go stir crazy (I equate horses needing room to roam in a pasture to smart people needing a place to explore their creative/innovative sides with some freedom.)
- Let the barking dog off the chain and it'll shut up (Rough wording there, but sometimes if you let go a little bit, the “tough” ones get a little easier to manage.)

By: Bob Stanke

Bob Stanke — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 14:15:12 +0000

Great post. Now making me think about how my title should change. I like the term “Community Architect”…

By: Justin Pruszynski Bacon

Justin Pruszynski Bacon — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:50:33 +0000

something that is important to gardens is also the stuff below ground. That is, the soil has to be healthy. There needs to be nutrients. And Microbes, worms, coexistence…and then there's the micro-ecosystem of bugs, and birds, etc that interact, eat etc. Diversity in a garden is good – lots of different species. Not the mono-crops of agribusiness. Organic growth. Not genetically modified…okay, some of this is my opinion as well;) But I think it has ties to thinking about community engagement, activation, cultivation.

By: Justin Pruszynski Bacon

Justin Pruszynski Bacon — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 22:12:18 +0000

By: thomasknoll

thomasknoll — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Thank you Dwight! (hey, nice last name) =P

By: thomasknoll

thomasknoll — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:35:00 +0000

Ooooh! I like the neighborhood metaphor as well. I wonder how far we
could extend that one?

By: nommo

nommo — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:36:29 +0000

Yep – I agree 'pest control' is definitely a community cultivation chore, as is cultivation of the ground before planting

There are also different styles of cultivation – where the nature of community is either allowed to grow 'organically' or is forced by the use of 'intensive' techniques of fertilising etc… there is a fine line between intensive farming and feedlots

By: thomasknoll

thomasknoll — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:57:46 +0000

It sounds like good hospitality?

By: thomasknoll

thomasknoll — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 05:52:51 +0000

hA! I love it! I have definitely been a “moron with a stick” at times.