Idea for a new Subforum here

[Danko Whitfield]

In the Kitely Virtual community on Google+ the question was raised: How do you develop community in an on-demand world?

Bladyblue Bommerang said:
Because of Kitely's unique position as being a world on demand, it will be difficult for a central community to grow organically.

I agree. She went on to talk about her volunteer ideas. I want to present another idea. First, here's my response from Google+

I think a community can develop via a grid's Forums. I think this has happened with Kitely. I have made friends via the forums that I have yet to encounter inworld. these friendships carry over to other online places and even other grids. Another example, earlier this year I experienced a real community feel on the Forums of the short-lived AuroraScape grid.

Kitely ought to encourage/pursue this more on the Forums as well as through some central inworld group. I think a Subforum called something like Chit-Chat & Stuff and a companion group inworld might help with this.

I'm sure Kitely feels it has already done this with the Forums and I won't disagree...but the time is right to push it up another level.

Maybe I should suggest this on the Kitely Forums.

So that is what I'm doing here. Can it be argued that there is already room on these forums for this type of thing to take place? Yes. But there is not a subforum that calls out for it - that is what is missing. Can a community develop without this additional subforum? Yes. What will be said on this new subforum that isn't already said here on Kitely Forums? Not sure but I think it will evolve into something if given a place to do so. What if this idea doesn't work? So what?

Personally my contact with Kitely is through the forums. I rarely go inworld. I'm on the bronze plan - 30 hours per month - but except when I've made a real effort to use up minutes for the sake of using up minutes, I usually use less than two hours of my minutes in a given month. Right now I pay 7 USD per month for a four-region world on the bronze plan. I could easily put that world on the free plan and spend just 3 dollars per month. I'm just not going to run into too many people this way. So I engage with them here on the forums.

A "coffee break" type of subforum in which individual topics can be created would give a nice and casual place to schmooze. An inworld group to go with it might encourage chat and friendships and sharing of worlds. That's "community." Some people won't want to be involved and that's cool too.

I can see that this new subforum could lead to more inworld connections. Even for someone like me.

[Constance Peregrine]

I see no downside to such a category.

I also think the google+ community has worked out well for attracting ppl in a more unstructured way than these forums and has reached several ppl, even in it's short time up, who use google+ a lot to communicate.

The more ways community can be built, the better, seems to me, tho this is not to say I will join them all either...lol

[Ada Radius]

Interesting idea, I hadn't thought of the forums as community so much as inworld avatars all in the same place. But yes. Although the point of Kitely worlds is virtual reality, I had thought.

Another feature that might increase community (this after talking with SL residents who don't like what's going on there but don't see Kitely as an improvement) is ranking the public worlds by which of them have avatars inworld at that moment, and showing how many avatars are there, or even who is there. The thing I heard the most from people who don't build or script or make textures, and who go to virtual worlds primarily to hear music and socialize, and to shop to buy stuff for their virtual homes and avatars, is that they like to go where the people are. They all look at the world maps, check out their favorite clubs, and teleport to the places that have the most green dots showing.

[Constance Peregrine]

I do a little google+ community that I don't much talk about...as it is mostly a test idea..

but i do post some stats and places to get more of them...for whatever use that may be..

join it or simply read it if you wish

https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/113904954 ... 0291623508

[Danko Whitfield]

Hi Ada,

When you go to the Public Worlds page, if you don't use a Search term, the first worlds that come up are usually ones with people in them. Unfortunately for SLers looking for a crowd, the number of people is usually 1. We need some events here too in order to bring people together, there is no question about that.

And Miney,
You didn't invite me to your Google+ community? My, my, my.
I just went and joined it anyway.
/me sticks tongue out

[Constance Peregrine]

lol...i never invited anyone to that little test community...i have mentioned it only a handful of times...but it seemed appropriate to mention it here-))

[Ilan Tochner]

Hi Danko,

The General Discussion part of our forum is intended for community development: http://www.kitely.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=6

Is there something more that it needs to include?

[Danko Whitfield]

Hi Ilan,

Yes, I think so. As I say, I think the forums have done a good job in helping to build community in Kitely. I think a good addition to the forums would be a 4th category under General Kitely. Along with General Discussion, Feedback & Suggestions and Media Mentions I would add another. Above I used the name "Chit-Chat & Stuff." That's just an example. "The Coffee Room" would be another. Something light and casual that would inspiure that kind of "Hey how ya doin'?" convo. And a category allows individual threads to be created rather than have it be one, long, never-ending thread under another category...which would eventually be meaningless.

Yes, this could take place in General Discussion...but it doesn't. If you look at the titles of the General Discussion threads, 90-percent or more are topical issues. Nothing wrong with that. It's great, in fact. But I'm saying we need a place for "small talk." And I'm also suggesting that an inworld group of the same name would work in tandem with the subforum to promote day to day convo and promotion of inworld things.

I've noted some other grids do have inworld groups like what I'm referring to. "Coffee & Chat" is a name I've seen on more than one grid. In fact, now, when i go onto a grid for the first time, i search the word Coffee to find a group where the Chit-Chat of the day is going on...to hear what "the locals" are talking about, get ideas for places to explore. It's also a nice place for a newcomer to ask a question without feeling dumb. People are in a good mood in these groups and are helpful to others. Whether these grids have a category in their forums for this type of thing, I can't say as I'm not on their forums. But they should.

[Constance Peregrine]

The Coffee & Chat groups you find on some grids was started by Brenda Quorzar and/or Ally Tearfall, who are partners in rl.

They are back in 3rd Rock now, last they told me....good folx-)) I originally knew them in inwz and they left soon after I did and are happy to have done so...they once had a pretty awesome Star Trek thing going there that I was a member of...I was 8 of 9, natch, and had my own borg alcove....lolololol

The group was actually removed in Island Oasis by Sugar Paolino, one of the grid owners, due to some issues there relating to Linda Kelly [who they also banned]...and replaced by their own....so you won't find it there...nor me...lol

As you noticed tho, they do create it in any grids they go to....somewhat as I have done in several with my A-Team Advertising group....mostly these were done simply as the need was there at the time, and, in my case, others have since come in and made their own, and mine is not used much anymore except some on 3rd Rock....which is fine.

I did speak with Blady about the A-Team group for here, and imported my joiner I use that was created by a steampunkish friend of mine, Ambient Kukulcan....nothing happened with that which is fine of course, but the joiner is kinda cool....lol

I had rathered her or someone else form that group here as I don't wish to run groups such as that anymore.

I agree, however, with your suggestions here, in some form...I was just adding some background stuffs....lol

[Ilan Tochner]

Just so I better understand the requirements:

Is all you need from us is to create some additional forums category + inworld group? (if more is required then please provide as much detail as possible to help me understand the reason for whatever else you need)

Where should it appear in the existing category tree?

What should it be called?