How does Blogging Create and Support Knowledge Communities Jack Vinson Knowledge Jolt, Inc. www.jackvinson.com [email_address]

Communities: formation About: Common interest In public: science, religion, family, shared history, neighborhood In organizations: work processes, work problems, academic discipline, company history People gathering In a physical space Online at a specific venue: bulletin boards, forums, mailing lists, …

About: Common interest

In public: science, religion, family, shared history, neighborhood

In organizations: work processes, work problems, academic discipline, company history

People gathering

In a physical space

Online at a specific venue: bulletin boards, forums, mailing lists, …

Communities: existence Why do they stay together? Leadership Common interest / purpose Shared space (physical or virtual) Why do they disband? Passion (central purpose) fades Change / Loss of “space”

Why do they stay together?

Leadership

Common interest / purpose

Shared space (physical or virtual)

Why do they disband?

Passion (central purpose) fades

Change / Loss of “space”

Weblogs / Blogging Individual author (generally) Frequently updated Reverse chronological postings Topics to the author’s interests Lightweight content management system

Individual author (generally)

Frequently updated

Reverse chronological postings

Topics to the author’s interests

Lightweight content management system

Blogs – general layout

Layout – single entry Title Quote Comments Body Other articles with the same topics

Blogs and communities? Communities are about common interest Blogs are about my interests

Communities are about common interest

Blogs are about my interests

Blogs and communities? On the other hand, blogs are all about connecting with the larger world “Here’s something I find interesting” “Here’s something Jane wrote, and this is why I think you should read it.” Would I write if no one were reading? Hints of community: calls for help, quotes, links, blogrolls, comments, trackbacks

On the other hand, blogs are all about connecting with the larger world

“Here’s something I find interesting”

“Here’s something Jane wrote, and this is why I think you should read it.”

Would I write if no one were reading?

Hints of community: calls for help, quotes, links, blogrolls, comments, trackbacks

Hints of community in blogs Community of readers A-list bloggers have thousands of readers Readers are willing to help when directly called upon Very much a one-way street

Community of readers

A-list bloggers have thousands of readers

Readers are willing to help when directly called upon

Very much a one-way street

Hints of community in blogs Favorite sources Many blogs list their favorite blogs in the sidebar (blogroll) Quoted sources Many bloggers quote other bloggers and other websites that inspire their writing Get a sense of the wider world in which the blogger operates

Favorite sources

Many blogs list their favorite blogs in the sidebar (blogroll)

Quoted sources

Many bloggers quote other bloggers and other websites that inspire their writing

Get a sense of the wider world in which the blogger operates

Hints of community in blogs Comments Readers can leave their responses directly on my website Sense of community can develop around those who write Little opportunity for participants to interact without the blog

Comments

Readers can leave their responses directly on my website

Sense of community can develop around those who write

Little opportunity for participants to interact without the blog

Hints of community in blogs Tools that can find who is talking about what has been written here Trackback Search Technorati: www.technorati.com Google site search / blog search TalkDigger: www.talkdigger.com

Tools that can find who is talking about what has been written here

Trackback

Search

Technorati: www.technorati.com

Google site search / blog search

TalkDigger: www.talkdigger.com

Community in blogs A community of bloggers Write about similar topics Read each others’ blogs Get to know one another Draw on each others’ writings to extend ideas and share their point of view

A community of bloggers

Write about similar topics

Read each others’ blogs

Get to know one another

Draw on each others’ writings to extend ideas and share their point of view

Community in blogs Traditional online community behavior Frequent writers Discussions in comments Discussions across blogs Plenty of readers who belong to the community, yet are not actively vocal (“lurkers”)

Traditional online community behavior

Frequent writers

Discussions in comments

Discussions across blogs

Plenty of readers who belong to the community, yet are not actively vocal (“lurkers”)

Discovering a community Comments, Blogroll, Trackbacks, Search Analyzing linking behavior SNA - Who links to whom Text analysis to find similar blogs WayPath, Watson (both mothballed)

Comments, Blogroll, Trackbacks, Search

Analyzing linking behavior

SNA - Who links to whom

Text analysis to find similar blogs

WayPath, Watson (both mothballed)

Building a blogging community Is it possible to engineer a blogging community, akin to creating a Community of Practice in your business? Will they participate? Critical mass? Technology?

Is it possible to engineer a blogging community, akin to creating a Community of Practice in your business?

Will they participate?

Critical mass?

Technology?

Building a blogging community Issues How to make the connections? Champion / Leadership with individual ownership of blogs Passion and engagement Need Active writers, readable commentary Passionate writers Topics that matter to many people

Issues

How to make the connections?

Champion / Leadership with individual ownership of blogs

Passion and engagement

Need

Active writers, readable commentary

Passionate writers

Topics that matter to many people

In the end Communities of bloggers exist Building the communities can be just as difficult as with traditional CoP Communities are about shared interest Blog communities are about shared passion

Communities of bloggers exist

Building the communities can be just as difficult as with traditional CoP

Communities are about shared interest

Blog communities are about shared passion

References McKinsey Quarterly Harnessing the power of informal employee networks , 2007 Number 4 The role of networks in organizational change , Web exclusive, April 2007 Mapping the value of employee collaboration , 2006 Number 3 Lilia Efimova has written extensively about weblog conversations and done some of these analyses ( http:// blog.mathemagenic.com ) Anjo Anjewierden has been writing tools to analyze blogs from a number of perspectives ( http://anjo.blogs.com/metis/ )

McKinsey Quarterly

Harnessing the power of informal employee networks , 2007 Number 4

The role of networks in organizational change , Web exclusive, April 2007

Mapping the value of employee collaboration , 2006 Number 3

Lilia Efimova has written extensively about weblog conversations and done some of these analyses ( http:// blog.mathemagenic.com )

Anjo Anjewierden has been writing tools to analyze blogs from a number of perspectives ( http://anjo.blogs.com/metis/ )