Better Communities Newsletter - October 2020

Welcome!

Every month we will share with you what is at the top of our must-reads about online communities and digital life. Please share your comments with us about what piques your interest.

Announcing our first Better Communities working session!
On December 10th we will be hosting an interactive working session with the Better Communities team to discuss specific steps you can take to create more human, collaborative, and valuable communities in 2021. Please register here:

Here is what we are reading this month:

How solitude and isolation can affect your social skills - BBC

Isolation (absence of regular social interactions) causes us to lose our sense of self, and may impair aspects of our intelligence over time. It's too early to tell what the exact effects of the pandemic-triggered lockdowns and social distancing might be over time, but it is clear that there will be individual and community impacts. The sooner we understand the specifics, the sooner we can begin to mitigate and plan for "community recovery" post-pandemic

Read more here: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20201022-how-solitude-and-isolation-can-change-how-you-think

Internal Moderation Policies Changing at Google

Google is making changes to the moderation of internal employee message boards & applications with this explanation from the team that manages all of the internal communication platforms:

“Our world is going to get more complicated as the year continues,” the team stated in the internal blog. “Tensions continue specifically for our Black+ community with Black Lives Matter, and our Asian Googlers with coronavirus and China/Hong Kong. All of this is compounded by the additional stress of working from home, social isolation, and caregiver responsibilities — to name a few. This new world creates urgency to keep work a welcoming place.”

This underscores the challenges of putting in good policies and training for internal communication platforms to avoid harassment and cultural issues in a company.

More information here: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/09/16/google-content-moderation-internal-message-boards-memegen.html

RWJF Funds COVID-19 Research at the Community Level

For 15 years, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has been supporting RAND Corporation research into community resilience, recovery, and well-being following natural and man-made disasters.

"The researchers partnered with local governments and—time and again—found that prioritizing equity and building collaborative networks bolstered communities under extreme stress."

These researchers are now studying how communities are faring during the pandemic, and which qualities are leading to better outcomes. Though the study looks specifically at physical communities, the lessons could likely apply to our digital spaces as well. How might we structure our online communities to become more resilient by focusing on equity, collaboration, and member health?

More information:https://www.rwjf.org/en/blog/2020/10/covid-19-research-at-the-community-level.html

To Understand Facebook Today, Read Its Earliest Critics

These early and overlooked books revealed Facebook was plagued from the start — and are crucial to understanding it now. To find out more about the early books about Facebook: https://onezero.medium.com/to-understand-facebook-today-read-its-earliest-critics-ca2ca15480ab

Why brands need a different approach to online communities

As a result of the greater amount of time spent online during pandemic and lockdowns, the shape of online communities has changed and evolved, according to Florencia Lujani, senior strategist and editor of Cultural Patterns.

Writing exclusively for WARC, she explains how they have adopted new forms of practice that are niche but significant.

“They are fluid, decentralised, sometimes anonymous, mostly private, yet capable of mobilising in highly-coordinated efforts to influence others and drive positive impact,” she says.

“Today, online communities are spaces at the forefront of cultural innovation.”

Read more here: https://origin.warc.com/newsandopinion/news/why-brands-need-a-different-approach-to-online-communities/44092

Estonia Is a ‘Digital Republic’—What That Means and Why It May Be Everyone’s Future

A good read of what is possible when a government embraces a digital future.

Branding itself the first “digital republic” in the world, Estonia has digitized 99 percent of its public services. And, in an era when trust in public services is declining across the globe, Estonia persistently achieves one of the highest ratings of trust in government in the EU.

Read more about their efforts: https://singularityhub.com/2020/10/15/estonia-is-a-digital-republic-what-that-means-and-why-it-may-be-everyones-future/

Our offbeat item of the month:

Proof that your customers will always know more about your operations and put in the time to share the information. A software engineer built a website that tracks broken ice cream machines at McDonalds over the entire world:

https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/22/21529477/mcdonalds-mcbroken-bot-ice-cream-machines-app-engineering

And of course we like to also talk about food--- Here is something to try that is Keto friendly: https://peaceloveandlowcarb.com/spicy-sausage-and-caramelized-onion-breakfast-bake/

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Thread:

Q: What possibilities for community building are the most exciting for you as you look towards 2021?

Let’s discuss in the comments!