The fact that you can be anonymous probably is a catalyst for some people’s dark/non-creative side and they quite soon start plagueing the community. Their popularity takes a hit though in all cases. I have seen some almost hitting as low approval ratings as George W. Bush did towards the end of his presidency. The good thing with a working community is that is becomes quite self-policing. If the community ower or the reason for the community really is an integral part of and player in the community there will be a very strong sense of respect between the members who have an honest and real interest in the longevity of the community. And the anonymous driver can make people have a great time as well. You can be someone else or a better self or a funnier self without lowering the quality of the community. Shy people dare more. I have seen people meet and get married in some of our mobile communities. The feedback we get from these people really make a strong impression and gives us in the team a reason to go on. Long live the Force in communities!

I fully understand Trent Reznor becoming fed-up with it all since he must have dedicated considerable time and effort with his online community. When the pile of bad stuff gets too big it is easy to cave in. However, seeing the reactions in the comments to his “I quit” post, he clearly have a majority of peers who speak up for him. In itself a proof of a well working community. I hope he’ll get back to it when the tour is over and he has had time to recharge.

So, I choose the Good Side and see a very positive trend here: The niche communities with one clear subject and reason to connect have a bright future. The large more generic communities with very large corporate goals like monetization of the user base and exit strategies risk loosing their purpose. Here I want to say that I have nothing against making money with communities. I say that that money makeing has to be intimately linked with the interest of the community and the members. And it must be made clear to the community. Do not hide the fact that you are a business. Well, if you are. Many communities are not there for profit and should not.

Irrespective of what community you build, have a purpose and reason to connect people around a subject. This is extra important in the mobile industry where some communities have been created because it is technically possible. Those are not long-lived alternatively have very high acquisition costs and churn.

Lastly a congrats and push for my friend Beata Wickbom who is featured in an article on social networking in this article (Swedish only).

Always a challenge to get people to download a java client, but if they do and they like what they see – you have a strong relationship. You are on their handset. Key in this world of very limited real estate in the mobile internet world. Niche focus and target your potential customers well and you might be on to something.