BY: Phillip (7/4/2008 6:11 PM)
COMMENT: Good post. I think we as community creators underestimate our role in fostering an environment of participation. If your environment is not communication friendly environment, then people will NOT participate. IMO, the best way to create a communication friendly environment is to organize/segment people. I know what you're thinking; it's Web 2.0 it's supposed to be open-right? Yea, but not really. A great example of a segmentation and great participation is Facebook. Facebook, IMO, has the most participation of any major site. Facebook Photo's is the most amazing photo tool in the world because people participate. The same can be said for facebook applications, groups and events.IMO, the reason people participate more in Facebook's environment is because Facebook's segmentation offers more intimate and open connections. Myspace's participation can't compare in any way with Facebook's. The reason Myspace can't compare is because it is too open. People don't feel the need to communicate in such a large environment. Their voice would be lost. This emulates life. Communication is often a lot better in small groups than it is in large groups. Also, the percentage of participants is higher. To sum this up, create intimate connections via segmentation and organization, and people will participate. Maybe segment your network via business units, or geographical location and users will feel more comfortable and open.

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