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The Community Builder
It’s been a while since the last time we had a visit for a sharing session. It was Bang Win (Abang Edwin) who accepted our invitation last Friday, 4th May 2007.
For those who are active in online communities, Bang Win may not be an unfamiliar profile at all. He is the pioneer of some of Indonesian web and mailing list based communities. Nine years have he spent setting up and moderating online communities.
But what has he to got gain from this activity? Before answering this question, let’s find out his tips to maintain such communities.
Well, as the actual community, online communities consist of people with the same interest. First of all, it isn’t hard to get people to join a group, joining a mailing list for example. But after a while, people tend to get bored. Now, this is a job for a moderator. Moderator must spend extra efforts to maintain a cheerful, lively and loyal crowd.
Experience has provided Bang Win with a conclusion that a moderator must be able to throw issues around to drive the crowds’ attention. From the very beginning, the moderator must have a plan written down – consist of timetable on topics, responses towards ‘deviant’ members, etc.Â
What will you get from loyal community members is, in economic term, a captive market. “You can sell almost anything to the community members as long as it is within their interest.†For those marketers out there, interest driven communities are very segmented market. Trade can also take place among members, as has been happening in most communities.
Now, answering the above question, Bang Win has become a consultant for setting up communities. His service will include software training, planning, community managements, and all sorts of stuff related to setting up and maintenance of an online community.
Another question raised: how much is the fee? 
5 Responses to “The Community Builder”
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Hi Awi,
Interesting post. I’m a moderator of a small online community myself. We never planned anything, does nothing by the book, and sometimes get to caught up with everyday routines that we forgot to check our mailing lists. As pathetic as it may sound, it’s still going on strong and new members keep trickling in.
However, I agree with Bang Win. In the future, online community administrators must have a clear-sighted plan. Otherwise, it will only be a breeding ground for spams and forward emails.
Cheers,
Ney
Hi Ney,
Thanks for the comment.
I have no experience in moderating an online community, but I’m a member of some, and have to agree with Bang Win — especially when the crowds are getting bigger, administrating job wouldn’t be as easy.
Btw, how are you doing? Haven’t been in touch for a while now. Nice blog you have there
Hi Awie,
I’m doing fine. Busy like hell while keeping a wide smile…
Yes, when the crowd is getting bigger moderators have to maintain some sort of control, to avoid democracy from becoming anarchy.
The real challenge for us in the industry is how to treat such ‘captive market’ as partners rather than sales audience. How to treat them as real people not statistical numbers, by having real dialogues with them.
Keep in touch! A great blog you guys have here.
Ney
Hi Awie, Ney…how are you guys..
I guess maintaining an online community is not just doing some moderating stuff. We have to think big at the beginning to prepare ourself for upcoming development of the community. For example, Komunitas Bunga Matahari, where Ney is one of the moderator, do some offline activities, that’s one thing that they succesfully do to maintain their community. I usually make an annual plan to build one community, so from the very beginning, we don’t do anything without guidance cause as I mention at Maverick’s sharing session, relation between visitor/member and an online community is only one-click away, so we have very carefully to maintain them.
I agree with Ney, the real challenge for us in the industry is how to treat such ‘captive market’ as partners rather than sales target. How to treat them as real people not statistical numbers, by having real contacts with them. That’s why we have to prepare all stuff rather than running it right away without any plan.
Ok guys….always interesting to discuss everthing that grows…hehehe
salam!
abang edwin sa
bangwin@yahoo.com
Halo Bangwin,
Couldn’t agree more with you on this!
Cheers,
Ney