Online community and social media can be huge assets for any business or brand wanting to draw in or impact its customer base and prospective customers.
As part of our ShoalHarbor category Online Community Basics we highlight foundation issues that brands should be aware of.
These should all be addressed as they embark on the voyage of online community for their brand.
The online community has its share of community issues, in a similar way that a traditional community does.
This applies to online social media community as well.
The true nature of online community is warm, endearing and engaging, yet sadly there are exceptions to normality.
When managing a brand online community the company needs to have a strategy in place in order to deal with complaints as well as errant behavior in the community.
We believe that all online communities need a Terms of Use as well as an Engagement Policy.
These are the foundations that true community is built on.
These policies need to cover all aspects of encouraging positive online community behavior, tolerance, moderation, and the elimination of perpetrators from the online community.
Let's cover some definitions relating to online community situations and harassment.
Definitions of Harassment in Social Online Community
• Trolling is described as online harassment or threatening content or behavior done purely for the fun of it.
The motivation of such trolls appears to be the sense of power and exposure it gives them.
We note that genuine online community members often rise to the protection of persons that have been hurt.
The nature of the online space is based on anonymity and thus it is almost impossible to physically regulate online community and social media effectively.
Some trolls are confident enough to cause damage in their own real world names, almost as if they have a sense of total power!
Encouraging self regulation in online communities is the best form of regulation we have at present, though it must be noted that some trolls have been brought to justice and even imprisoned.
• Flaming is another form of online community harassment defined by the use of insulting, swearing, or abusive language.
Flaming can be done in a private manner as in private one on one messaging, or publicly visible in the form of open comment streams on the online community or social media site..
Research shows that flaming is more prevalent in the online space than in real world interaction.
The fact remains that computer based communication may result in antisocial or unregulated behavior.
• Cyber bullying is defined as repeated harm afflicted to another online, almost as a stalker would do. We note the emergence of new laws designed to prohibit many forms of online transgression.
• Hazing is sometimes used as a top dog tactic on newcomers arriving at an online community.
Hazers may see themselves as enforcers to guide or correct behavior, or to create a space where the newcomer needs to "qualify" to be there in the first place.
An example of this is at X-Filesaholics, commonly known as Mulders Apartment.
These transgressions are very difficult to eliminate due to the loose structure of the online world as follows:
• Online Community members are attracted to thought patterns of free expression at all times.
• The segmented parts of online community members result in segmented views or camps of thought.
• The moderators view can create difficulty in management of the online community, as members may have a difference in opinion.
Brands need to have a strategy in place to encourage positive online community behavior, and to eliminate offensive behavior.
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