Oh dear, a few cobwebs in here and I really shouldn't have left that cup of tea on the table … I think there may be a new life-form growing in it. What can I say except I have been busy of late. Nurturing my community, taking finals for classes, visiting family back in the UK, organizing Christmas, and then of course on Boxing day I came down with the obligatory "Christmas cold." Those are my feeble (but real) excuses for not keeping things ticking along in my little blog. Not that anyone has missed me except for the small spider that has started to wind its way around the little corners of this page.
Anyway I digress, back to the job in hand. I've been reading lots this past week about predictions, goals and the future of community management. I've even seen it touted as a "second job" or "fall-back career" which I actually don't agree with and thinks demeans those already in the job who have a passion and calling toward community management. Just because you are a writer, or a journalist, doesn't necessarily mean that you will make a great community manager: it's an entirely different skill set. However I am not going to go down that road now, that's a conversation for another day, I just wanted to share a brief thought I had on the matter.
Going back to predictions etc, I don't have any big goals or lofty predictions. Actually I lie, my only goal for 2010 is to get a bigger sun umbrella so I can work more outside this year and less at my desk. Have computer will travel …. well at least 8 feet. I feel so much more productive working outside in the breeze than my home office. Other than that I have no major goals, predictions or aspirations. I just want to continue working with communities; to be able to facilitate people in their interaction with each other online. I also have no big fancy words for communities, measuring communities, interacting with communities or learning from communities. The only way you are ever going to learn about, or grow, a community is to spend time getting to know the people who participate in it. A community manager has to be a people person - you don't need any fancy words or gadgets for that - you just have to be honest, straight and true; anything more is fluff no one wants, or cares about. If you are not true to yourself, or the reason for the community you manage, members of your community will see straight through you.
Happy 2010 to all.
