Sustaining Online Communities

Word on the street is that Facebook is becoming the default online community, making Linked-In, MySpace and others obsolete. I’m not so sure about this. For instance, Jay Cross, on another community site, Ning, wonders about the value of Facebook - Full Disclosure: I have Facebook, Linked-In and Ning accounts Given that the Web is now about a billion people of varying age groups, cultural and linguistic preferences, I cannot see how one platform will meet everyone’s needs. Facebook has done well by opening its platform to other applications and this is fueling its current growth. However, as much as people are adding new applications, they’re dumping them just as fast. This week I came across a new community, Carmun, focused on the needs of graduate students. I think it has some potential for its stated niche: It [Carmun] connects students who share academic...