Online Community Portal

An online community portal can provide communication, resources, and advocacy for any organization with common ground. The internet has made constant, consistent, and persistent communication available to people from all walks of life. People join these communities for myriad reasons. These people fall into three major categories: Some want to keep up on the topic area. Typically, this person will join the group just for the purpose of observation. The members just want to keep abreast of the topic. This person will probably not be active and may never contribute to the portal. However, because of their interest in the topic, they may login in every so often to read what is going on. The second type of member in the portal is the casual user. These people will visit the community and access the resources that are available from time to time. Invariably this person will pop into a discussion now and then. These individuals are somewhat likely to answer a survey. They may make a purchase one or two times a year. The third type of person is a die hard community member. They want to take on a leadership role. They often become the "go-to" expert in the subject area. Although these are the three major categories, there are, of course many people who fall in between these categories.



The online community portal itself is the structure and form that is developed as a platform for the community. The portal often starts with a need for information. Sometimes forums are developed into portals. But, more often than not these days, it starts with an advocacy blog. A person who is passionate about a subject may write about it often and allow comments to be made so that there is a back and forth dialogue. Or perhaps, the community starts as a customer service venue for a company. Regardless of how the online community portal gets started, the portal grows and develops. All portals have one thing in common, they provide a communication venue for like minded people. It exists and is maintained by the ideas and ideals of the members. Some members will enjoy great satisfaction from finding an online neighborhood to call their own. "Behold , the third time I am ready to come to you; and I will not be burdensome to you: for I seek not yours, but you: for the children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children." (2 Corinthians 12)



Any online community portal should have a common goal or set of objectives. Without these, the portal is likely to falter. If that happens, then people will become disenchanted and move on to another more organized venue. It's so much easier to communicate when people are on the same page at the same time. It makes sense to have different areas in the portal for different activities. One area can be set-up specifically for interaction among the members. Another section could have products and services that are directly relevant to the topic at hand. Then, still other sections could include things like; videos, sub-groups, news features, and events. Successful online community portals have the look and feel of the "real-world." That is to say that some people sync with others and develop a camaraderie; while others would rather see a tornado hit their home than to see a certain person's screen name in the same chat room. Some people like to hover around the fringes; while still others want to be in the thick of it all. There are those who are service oriented and just want to be helpful; while recognition of accomplishment is the flag ship that others prefer. Mimicking real life, these structured venues may be the only "human" interaction some people (like those who are bedridden, paralyzed, or phobic) are involved with.



Once a goal has been set, then the terms and conditions for interacting are drawn up. These rules often deal with the behaviors of individuals. Their main aim is to keep people civil. Without civility, there is chaos. Interactions within the online community portal can be interesting, exciting, and even brutal. Violent rants and rages can erupt, making the environment unpleasant for all. Common terms and conditions follow rules of etiquette. Basically, etiquette says; be kind, be polite, be diplomatic, and do not offend or harass. As adults, people should not have to be told what and how to say things. Yet, the community members have the added dimension of being extremely multi-cultural. What this means is that the norms and mores for one group may not hold true for another group. To keep everyone on a level communication playing field, it is essential that the rules are even applied to everyone.



After an online community portal has been around for a while, a sense of history and culture within the group blossoms. Inside jokes, catch phrases, and idiomatic expressions will develop that are exclusive to that group and its members. The feelings of belongingness will grow as well as the fact that people will become territorial about sub-topic areas, become advocates for products or services, and become defensive about their particular roles in the community. The moderator(s) will play a heavy role in making things go smoothly within a community. Also the technology platform and security measures of the website will help to protect the members from outside invasion. And once the communication lines are drawn, then it's time to let other people know that it exists. When all is said and done, an online community portal has just as much chance to sink as to swim.