I’ve been part of many online communities over the past 20+ years. All the way back to the beginnings of the ‘internet’ with dial-up BBSes and Usenet newsgroups like alt.comedy.standup for my then-budding career. Shifting then to modern web-based forums and membership sites for video games, comedy writing, poker, independent music or any other passion as part of my many entrepreneurial endeavors. Some I was quite an active participant. Some I was just a lurker. Some I ran as an administrator or moderator. In any case, my aim was to be part of a community that filled my specific needs, encouraged more thought-provoking discussion and provided tangible results for all involved. It was communities…

…

Let’s say you’ve been blogging for quite some time, making some headway and are now looking to step up. You’ve been putting in the hours, churning out the best blog posts, promoting them like crazy through social bookmarking, working on search engine optimization and connecting with peers in your niche. After seeing your traffic steadily increase to the point of some critical mass, you figure it’s a great time to monetize your efforts. This is definitely a healthy and valid approach which has had success many times in the blogosphere. Bombard people with as much free valuable “stuff” as possible over a period of time, get as many eyeballs as you can, then flip it with a paid element. You…

So, I haven’t posted here on the blog in 4 days. Wait for it… Wait for it! I’m incredibly sorry and apologize to all my 12 readers, but I’ve been… Hold on, it doesn’t even matter. You probably haven’t noticed any difference, right? For all you know, I did write three blog posts over the weekend – but you scrolled right past it in your RSS reader. Boy, I definitely would sound quite arrogant if I professed my heartfelt apologies thinking I was somehow an integral part of your life. Actually, I should be the one upset. How important are you that I can disappear for a whole 4 days in between posts and you don’t even bat an eye. How egotistical and uncaring of you! Am I just some…

BREAKING NEWS: Social media guru expert ninja speaks heresy about popular third party Twitter app! That’s right, folks. I’m going to be the one person truly brave enough. I’ll point out something that has irked us social media types for quite some time, but too many are afraid to open their mouths. I’ve heard the grumblings long enough, so I’ll take the bullet for the team. TweetDeck sucks! Don’t you all feel so much better now? Now, to all the non-believers clutching to your prehistoric ideologies circa August 2009, feel free to flame me in the comment section. I can take the heat. But before you stone me to death like a Salem witch, I will make these concessions: Yes, I think…

I’m too lazy to write a blog post today. Frankly, I’ve just been too busy. Over the weekend, I brokered several joint venture deals, spoke at 34 different conferences, had 107 coaching calls, set up Wordpress blogs for the entire nation of Burkina Faso and conducted a 15-hour webinar on the subject of brevity. Ok, who am I kidding? I obviously spent countless hours on Twitter while checking my blog stats every three minutes. Do you realize how much work it takes to talk about all the great things you’re planning while never actually doing it? It’s exhausting! That’s why I’m leaving the job to you. Let me know your thoughts on whatever niche this blog is about. Let me know your…

This is the last video of a five-part review of the Third Tribe. Penned as “Internet Marketing Strategies That Work (Without Being Obnoxious)”, it’s a new membership site created as a joint venture between Brian Clark, Sonia Simone, Darren Rowse and Chris Brogan. If you missed the previous parts of the review: Part 1: Why Price Point Doesn’t Matter Part 2: Connectors Are The Glue Part 3: Class Separation Is A Necessary Evil Part 4: Getting The Most Out Of Mavens Today, I discuss how crucial moderation is on a community forum – especially in the early stages of its lifespan. With so many new faces coming together in one place at the same time, it can be manic and chaotic without a…