The Social Danger a Web Community Faces...

I have often noticed that the second a website becomes too popular, the users of the site for some odd reason, seem to believe their very popular website is no longer good for them. What they do not realize is that they are actually going through a very real, social experience that affects almost everyone:

Everyone likes to feel part of an exclusive community.

The fact that an exclusive community will not stay exclusive for very long, is the very danger many websites equally face, which has led to meteoric growth and collapse in a short period of time.

Take a metaphor, not web-related, and look at what it is like to be in an exclusive community, when it comes to a housing development:

• A new housing community is built. It has all sorts of new buildings and recreation areas. The kids will love it, and even better...YOU are one of the first few lucky families to move in first.
• You meet many new, great people and you think, 'I enjoy this. I feel important here. I think I will stay here a while!'.
• Then...the realty office realizes they are on to a good thing and decide to open the community up to more people.
• You say, 'So long!', to exclusivity. There are more people. There are more cars and businesses, and now, you feel like everyone else...nothing special...just part of a vast community of people, that in growing has somehow lost its roots and identity.
• So...you leave...and find a new community, and the whole process starts all over again.

Think of how this works, when it comes to websites. Belonging to a really good website indicates to a person that you were smart enough to join it. That makes you feel special, but when the word gets out, and many people decide to join for various reasons, the end result is that you are just like everyone else. No longer does one feel exclusive.

I state this to illustrate something that has happened to me over the past four years, when I actually began using websites to market myself, or in some cases, just find new work.

In 2005, I joined Myspace, which was initially intended (I think) to help people advertise themselves for the businesses that they ran. Although very effective, Myspace quickly became that website that 'everyone was using'. The minute you find yourself saying that about a website...chances are it has out-lived its usefulness. So...2 million friends, and one year later...another website soon came along that offered exclusivity that everyone wanted...Facebook.

Facebook, when I first started using it, was used by corporate types to network, and see who went to what college or had some sort of business degree. The usage of it was exclusive, and to me, somewhat intimidating at first. Sure, they have a 5,000 friend limit...but who really has that many friends anyway, and can remember all of them anyway. It seemed like a good idea to join because the community was new.

5000 emails and 10,000 'ignore' clicks later, I am finding that 'everyone is using it now', and quite honestly for things I am not sure are usueful. Do I need to know that my classmate from 2nd grade elementary school is poking someone I never heard before? Do I need to know 25 things about a person I have not seen since high school, and probably for a very good reason? Now, Facebook has grown so popular that I am not sure if it useful anymore. Yes, the exposure is great, but having my 4th grade class picture with my name tagged is more helpful because I lost many of my photo albums. So...now...everyone is doing it, and it has been difficult to manage.

What next?

Linkedin... I am enjoying this website. I really am, and I see all the positives about it, but what happens when this website becomes the next big thing? Most likely, it will get crowded til some web developer creates a copy and improves on all the things people complain about when a community gets crowded...be it no parking(metaphorically speaking), too many emails, or that nagging non-exclusive feeling.

There is also one other danger a web community faces... Becoming obsolete over night.

With that in mind...I just wonder about two things:

1. Will all websites in the future become 'Build it, then, take the money and run'?

2. Will all websites realize that the secret to longevity is to offer its users something that is useful for the long-term, which in turn means the website and the community must grow as quickly as people's opinions change, so that everyone knows they are special when they use their websites.

Just thoughts...as I get older...it gets more and more difficult to keep up with all the websites I belong to, and sometimes they come and go so quickly, I forget about them.

Regardless...even with my limited knowledge of developing...I still say websites that offer direct employment opportunity are the one's that will be around longer.

It must never be forgotten that 'people' are the driving force behind everything we see, do, and create in this world.