this community and goodness

One of the best things I've ever been involved with (tangentially) was the setting up We Are What We Do. WAWWD is lead by a most inspiring man, David Robinson, who also set-up a splendid organisation called Community Links, based in East London. We met because David was intrigued by the way brands can create a sense of community - for their own benefit and sometimes, perhaps incidentally, for the benefit of their customers - and wondered if that same idea of brand-based community could be extended into the creation of a brand whose 'product' was social cohesion. ie Could the skills of brand-building and brand-based creativity be used to build community and social good? I'd say that the work of We Are What We Do so far has proved that he was onto something.

Anyway, he's now asked that I write something for a book they're going to publish to celebrate their 30th anniversary. It's a follow-up to this book from their 21st anniversary (you can read it all online as pdfs). And I've just had a look and it's rather dauntingly clever and insightful. So I'm going to need help.

I'm inclined not to write anything too much about brands and community because that argument has been made better elsewhere by other people, I'm thinking I'd like to write something about the community that gets built via blogging and my instinct that it is a new and positive force for social  cohesion and general goodness. That's about all I've got so far, but I was wondering if any of you lot had any thoughts on it. I'd be very grateful if you did.

Comments

[mm]

I might be naive or narrow-minded but communities struggle to coexist because whilst they claim to; they don't listen. And for me, the action of listening is the defining virtue of any relationship.

Blogging has taught me to listen instead of hear. And it has taught me to think about my response in a calculated manner.

Now I like to think that off-line I've learnt to do the same. Listen, understand and accept views irrespective of my own.

So, I guess for me, blogging communities are about the art of coexistence and a sense of belonging whatever or whomever you are. And, this has affected my off-line relationships in a positive manner.

Merry Christmas.

MM

[Helen]

Russell, I read this post earlier today and have been thinking about it as I've been out and about noticing other people out and about.

I think community starts when individuals collectively begin to notice and be noticed. This leads to people taking an interest in each other, more often than not this leads to caring.

A lot of our modern-life entrapments work against this, but blogging actively encourages it. As a blog writer you consciously put something of yourself 'out there' to be seen, heard and potentially judged. Like promanading or putting on your sunday best for church, it's worth making an effort to appear as good as you can. This isn't a fake goodness, you're simply exercising your best bits. Paul once commented that he felt blogging was making him nicer and I think this might be why.

By reading other people's blogs you start to see how other individuals view the world. You know a bit about what they are up to; what they see; what they can do; how they think and what's important to them. You start to understand other people better because you give them your attention.

Anecdotally, meeting Aurthur yesterday, I had a flash of disappointment when I realised he wouldn't recognise me just because I recognised him. I've started to care about him simply because he appears on your blog. I would, you know, look out for him or something.

[Elana Centor]

May I introduce you to Nancy White?
If you don't know her, visit her blog - http://www.fullcirc.com/weblog/onfacblog.htm it's devoted to answering and supporting the very question you raise about blogging and community.

She is an international expert on building online community.

Nancy introduced me to online community over 6 years ago when I took her course on online facilitation. Later we both worked as online facilitators for a major Fortune 100 and when I decided to start a blog it was Nancy who I turned to for advice.
Just tell her, Elana sent you. Or don't. She will be welcoming either way because that is her nature.

good luck.
elana

[Frauke Godat]

Dear Russell,
I am currently volunteering with WAWWD in the Netherland: building the movement here.

And your blog entry with comments have just inspired me to send it as an introduction to the participants of the first We Are What We Do Dutch community meeting that we have this Saturday in Amsterdam!

I will also post a reference on my blog: http://godat.hyves.nl/blog

There is also a Dutch WAWWD community: http://wearewhatwedo.hyves.nl

Groetjes,
FRAUKE