An interesting piece on Mashable about ways websites develop and maintain “online communities”. While I find the term, “online communities”, oxymoronic, there are some helpful tips here for cities and municipalities looking to engage their publics online (or offline, for that matter). To wit:
1. “Make it easy to participate”: engagement with the government - especially at the local level - should not be needlessly difficult.
2. Good communities grow around good leaders: Great communication skills, plus the ability to find opportunities to participate have become essential for today’s civic leaders.
3. “Reward contributors”: Both online and offline, your residents who participate and show great civic spirit should be recognized for their service to the community.
There are several others worth reading…