User:Pjyoungb

Now think about your writing project community. What might draw them to join an online community? What might encourage them to continue participating in that online community? What obstacles might present themselves in establishing an online community? How might you remove those obstacles?

This was the prompt which I attempted to answer. The biggest obsticals to an on-line community are several:

Overload is the most frequent charge by TC's and lay-teachers (non-NWP teachers) alike. There are frequent complaints of their inboxes being too full to be able to answer or even deal with looking at all the email that their respective list-servs generate. Some are required to deal with email as part of their school dialogue, yet there is a resentment there as well that it should be optional. Some special incentive, therefore, needs to be offered in order to keep them returning to a site, or space of communication, if only due to personal desire to be there, keep abreast, or personal writing.

Time is the number two complaint that I've encountered "I don't have enough time to do that and all I have to do in a day." There is even an oft-heard "I don't get on that computer at home at all." This then is the second obstical, the illusion of not enough time. Again, special incentives may entice them, but again this is the person who, I feel, is most likely to be the passive listener.

Perception is the third obstical. There is an overwhelming perception which is perpetuated by our universities and elder, conservative (read outdated), professors, that whatever is on the internet has little or no value. There is the retreaval of news, and ease of shopping which they will acknowledge and use, but to find real value of thought here is devalued beyond what is actual into what they have established due to non-use themselves. This, of course, becomes a whole new subject.

Getting back to the prompt, if time, perception and overload are the biggest obsticals, then the best method of overcoming these is two-fold. First, no matter the form of communication, it must be easy to use for the most inept user, and easy for the user who will not work at learning new things. We must also change our perceptions of how many and who will willingly participate. Second, we need to build in a sense of importance, authenticity, and dialogue which will establish it as a valuable, professional resource.

In all, I believe that understanding why these questions need to be asked in the first place lead more directly to workable answers which will be able to be formulated and personalized to each writing project.