Drawing on the work done preparing young people to become responsible digital citizens, alongside experiences gained managing communities of young people this talk will consider what Australian digital communities will look like in year 2020. Communities will be devised, contributed to and managed by people who are digital natives and whose experiences with the world have always (and only) been informed by living in a digitally connected world. How will notions of privacy, gaming, online behaviour, user experience and user expectation be different for a generation who have learned how to navigate around an iPhone by the age of three? More excitingly, how will these experiences inform the ways that the next generation of community managers create online digital experiences in the year 2020? This talk will: * pose all these questions and more * answer very few of them * argue that we are just looking after of our children’s digital communities until they take over * talk about our responsibilities for tending these digital communities until then.

4. What is important to young people?

8. We draw on…
• What people like

9. We draw on…
• What people like
• What technology is out there

10. We draw on…
• What people like
• What technology is out there
• What other people are doing

11. All young people are unique but…
The digital landscape that we build today will
impact on the expectations that our children
have for what a digital project is.

12. We are defining the norms for…
• What is good user experience
• How should we feel about privacy
• How should people treat each other online
• What role should technology play in
entertainment
• What role should technology play in education
• What is journalism
• Who owns content

14. Minecraft
• Started as a bedroom coding
project amongst friends
• Casual game (no clear cut goal
or objective)
• Users explore, build and
create at their leisure

15. • Sold over a million copies before it left Beta
• Over 20 million copies on all platforms
• All through word of mouth

16. Open Source

17. Kids teaching themselves
• Java coding
• 3D modeling
• API protocol analysis
Better education than I got during my Masters
of Computer Science.

18. Ownership = Engagement

19. “While some parents see their kids playing a
harmless video game, I see the future.
Minecraft is doing more to shape the future of
your children and their skills since LEGO bricks
were developed in 1949.”
- Joe Pulizzi
Epic Content Marketing

20. Freemium

21. History
In the beginning of the iOS app store...
• No trials, demos or refunds!
• Every purchase a gamble
• Market set price for games $0 - $2

22. History
This does not reflect the ‘true value’ of the
game so companies respond with:
• Day one sales
• Ad blocking functionality
• Game add-ons (extra levels)

23. Psychology of an iOS purchase
We won’t pay $5 for a great game, but we will
spend $105 in in-game purchases for a great
looking farm

24. Psychology of an iOS purchase
We won’t pay $5
for a great game,
but we will spend
$105 for
convenience

25. Candy Crush Saga
Free to download
- BUT –
Makes $663,000 per day on micro transactions
$4.6 million per week

26. Benefits (when done well)
• A great way of sharing high-quality content for
indie developers
• Another way of shaking up the
developer/publisher/retailer monopoly
• Lowers the barriers of entry to independent
developers

27. Benefits (when done well)
•Status
•Self-expression
•Collector’s urge

28. • Targets whales
• Buyer’s remorse
• Learned from gambling
industry

29. Downsides
Gambling is highly regulated industry
Consumer Affairs Advisory Council
“…there is already enough regulation that can
provide the right balance between the needs
of consumers and industry participants…”
- App Purchases by Australian Consumers
July, 2013

30. Downsides
Take advantage of the most vulnerable people in
the online community
• Silver surfers
• Mental health issues
• Children

31. Inverting the value proposition

32. Inverting the value proposition

33. The value of a broken product

34. • What is good user experience
• How should we feel about privacy
• How should people treat each other online
• What role should technology play in
entertainment
• What role should technology play in education
• What is journalism
• Who owns content
So… Community in 2020 then

35. Who’s with me?!?

36. Oh… and thanks for listening
- Nick