On second read I realise that the term 'community' (as used here) opens up various questions.
1st ~ it is not so different from what some people call a 'tribe'. So what's the difference between the two (I mean in the context of gathering followers online)?
2nd ~ The word I stumble over in the setting of 'community' is 'host'. If one person is 'hosting a community', what makes the other 'community members' anything beyond 'guests'?
3rd ~ "You may be the expert but community gives you access to diverse perspectives you may not have considered." Here the term 'community' sounds more like 'students' attending a class. It shows how tricky it is to dispose of common hierarchical structures while trying to build 'community'.
Language is always interesting. If you think of it as a gathering at a venue, someone owns the venue and is granting access. Someone issues the invite - the host. In a private community, access depends on meeting criteria. In this case, I’m charging for access because people value what they pay for. I am sharing information so student isn’t an inappropriate term. The term tribe makes me uncomfortable. Hierarchy isn’t necessarily all bad - someone has to have the final decision and accountability.
Thank you. It’s taken a lot of time to experiment and realize what works for me and what doesn’t. Community is hard because people so rarely express what they really want and need - some people don’t even realize this themselves. And it’s also illogical. I don’t want the same thing from every community. Take Unified Mindfulness. I dip in and out and none of the organizers really know me. I prefer the connection in True Awesome.
On second read I realise that the term 'community' (as used here) opens up various questions.
1st ~ it is not so different from what some people call a 'tribe'. So what's the difference between the two (I mean in the context of gathering followers online)?
2nd ~ The word I stumble over in the setting of 'community' is 'host'. If one person is 'hosting a community', what makes the other 'community members' anything beyond 'guests'?
3rd ~ "You may be the expert but community gives you access to diverse perspectives you may not have considered." Here the term 'community' sounds more like 'students' attending a class. It shows how tricky it is to dispose of common hierarchical structures while trying to build 'community'.
Language is always interesting. If you think of it as a gathering at a venue, someone owns the venue and is granting access. Someone issues the invite - the host. In a private community, access depends on meeting criteria. In this case, I’m charging for access because people value what they pay for. I am sharing information so student isn’t an inappropriate term. The term tribe makes me uncomfortable. Hierarchy isn’t necessarily all bad - someone has to have the final decision and accountability.
What a great post! I've been thinking of and about community for many decades. Your clarity shows so many important nuances so well.
In a rush now but I'm going to come back to this and read again. Thank you 💖🙏
The clarity you have in what you need/desire in a community is so well-expressed here.
Thank you. It’s taken a lot of time to experiment and realize what works for me and what doesn’t. Community is hard because people so rarely express what they really want and need - some people don’t even realize this themselves. And it’s also illogical. I don’t want the same thing from every community. Take Unified Mindfulness. I dip in and out and none of the organizers really know me. I prefer the connection in True Awesome.