Internet Communities

Internet communities are a rather curious thing. How do they actually form? How do people group around a forum, or a chat site, or around an online game, spending hours together and forgetting to take out decomposing rubbish for weeks? It's a mystery to many, it would seem, as my recent encounter with Lord of the Ring Online's forum posters has shown. I thought to be irritated at first, but I've thought better and am actually amused now.

Why be amused? Well... The people there think that building a community happens with a snap of a finger. You say, "We're making a community now!" and voila - a community forms. Then you can add some purpose to it, and you're all set, wonderful, isn't it?

Well, surprise, surprise, it doesn't work like that at all. To exist, a community needs a purpose. A goal. The only "artificially" generated community that I saw created and surviving was Ironforge RP Initiative - and it's only because the people behind it were willing to go the length of their plan. The rest of the attempts miserably failed - or generated a disgusting heap of attention-whoring elitists, which is even worse. And now, suddenly, in reply to my examples, I hear that this happened in another MMO, at a different time, with other people. And that there's no reason to think it will happen here. Pshaw.

Do people really think that the core of human mentality has changed a single bit since the time when a monkey took a stick and whapped another monkey on the head? Or, if you're not into Darwin's approach, since Adam munched on the apple? We're still the same petty little things, with the same petty little concerns - only things that have changed are social environment and technology. In real life, that is. In the Internet, a human's true nature reigns. You can pretend to be a shining knight or a brave scout, or a teenage girl, or a successful businessman, but your face will come through. You are not facing any immediate physical (by physical I mean anything that can happen to the body, from a kick in the face to a court order of some fashion) retribution - and it unties your hands. Very few people really manage to shine in such an environment. And when someone tells you that a year ago people were different - while that person at the same time proposes morose ideas and can't arse spelling or punctuating properly, what can you say in reply?

I laughed and clapped.

Maybe I'm too cynical. Maybe. But I've learned all the ropes of online community managing the hard way. I've seen betrayals and backstabs, failures and bloating, disgusting patting of the ego of "heroes" and "leaders" at others' expense. Maybe, just maybe I'm jealous. Jealous of other people's innocence and ignorance in such matters. Maybe I'd like to be a foolish idealist still. But I'm not. And my opinions will be disliked and disregarded - because, of course, five years of direct experience of leading online communities doesn't mean a thing when an 18-year-old gets a wonderful idea.

As Elenyavie/Jools pointed out, these same ideas have been recycled time and time again since 1996 - for over ten years now. Why? Well. Do you see old comm. leaders hanging around? No, most have their closed circles of chosen. Or work. Or families. They're no longer bothered to explain something to a crowd. If the community becomes corrupt and un-enjoyable, they simply pack bags and move on. And so, the newer members have to think up things for themselves and think that they're fresh and wonderful. Nothing changes.