Wiki: New Rules for the New Communities How has community changed in the last several years? How many more communities are like flashmobs, catalyzed by a brief event or issue that people feel strongly about? Do we only join communities that reinforce our own identities, or do we look at community as a place to share our perspective and debate with others? What about currency in communities, i.e. friending someone in Facebook (you don't necessarily have to have a whole conversation with them; friending can indicate that you find something in common and connect with them). What about dysfunctional behavior? Does it strengthen or divide a community when someone flames for personal gain (i.e. linkbaiting, writing inflammatory posts to drive traffic, gaming for higher status)?
These are the big questions for which we don't yet have all the answers. For that matter, there almost definitely isn't one right answer. But the more we use social tools, the more we explore what it means to be part of this new community, how we represent ourselves, and what we do with our powerful ability to connect.
link to original post