Is it time to ditch the Facebook Group you built and move on to a new community platform? This is a big question. Let’s break it down and then learn step-by-step how to migrate from Facebook Groups to a new platform.

A lot of people believe a lot of BS about online communities. It stops them from being successful. Learn how to recognize and counter these myths.

There are - broadly speaking - two ways for leaders to emerge online. I'm here to tell you: Pick a lane. Neither is better or worse. Get clear what you're really after: a co-created, democratic community effort or a space in which you/your organization are the expert and organizer.

There is an economic principle called the 80/20 rule. The principle states that, in almost any area, 20% of your inputs will yield 80% of your results. This is also true in communities. Even if a handful of people do "the work" in your community, it is impossible to create meaningful outcomes without the entire group.

In these times, we need grace, a good belly laugh, space to play, and music that crosses boundaries and cultures. We need Dolly Parton energy.

We are now entering what I've come to think of as prime "burnout season." Over the last few years, I've observed countless community builders grow exhausted and overwhelmed during the summer months. Here’s a free guide and resource to taking time off.

Context switching is something we humans try to do. When we do it, it has the opposite effect it has on a computer. We become less effective. Unfortunately, most community builders have no choice but to switch contexts. What can we do to keep up without falling apart?

If you want to validate and construct a new brand community program, you can do that work in just four weeks. This is how: When you're launching any new community effort, think of filling a treehouse, not a stadium.

Perfect. What an irrelevant word for the kind of work we do. Community building demands imperfect work. What an irrelevant word, in fact, in any world where equality and justice matter.

As more of the world comes online, our approaches to design and leadership will need to grow more decentralized and localized to remain both inclusive and effective. That's probably not news to you, but the idea does feel more urgent today as the next billion people are quickly coming online.

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of attending an annual community ritual hosted by a small business located near Seattle, WA. A new friend invited me to observe but told me he didn't want me to know what was going to happen at the event until I got there.

As Priya Parkers says: “You will have begun to gather with purpose when you learn to exclude with purpose. Over-inclusion is a symptom of deeper problems — above all, a confusion about why you are gathering and a lack of commitment to your purpose and your guests.”

We may need a mindset shift: If you show up and do the work, you will not get every opportunity or acknowledgment, but this is not a zero-sum game. We share our triumph. Scarcity is a reality, but it’s not the only reality.

Four Stanford data scientists analyzed thousands of conflicts on Reddit using public data from 2014–2017. As a result, they were able to suggest a data-backed model for mediating intercommunity conflict.