Casual Collectives: Tomorrow’s Roadkill

by Saul Fleischman on September 30, 2011

Guest Post, courtesy of Stan Faryna

Our Attempts Have Failed: Stan Will Not Part With Those Sunglasses.

Stan Faryna is a daddy, tech and design industry entrepreneur, social entrepreneur, author, blogger, design wonk, and former national Director of IAB Europe. His blog is here: http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com

A Bigger Picture of Online Community

Philosophical reflections may or may not appeal to you. Beyond the question of appeal, should be the question of relevance. Here, in Part One, I reflect philosophically about the online community because any influencer or would-be influencer must understand what community is about and how it’s must provide structure for human behavior and action toward common goods.

In generic terms, we need communities (and each other) to succeed on the social web. Jon Buscall wrote a passionate blog post about the subject here:

http://jontusmedia.com/build-an-army-not-a-tribe/

If you are an American, you know that the Founding Fathers launched “the American Experiment” with considerable deep think, passionate argument, and commitment to dialogue. They pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor to its success.

If you are not an American, the work and story of the men that founded the United States of America serves as lessons in community-building as much as nation-building.

They are history-makers and giants as tall as ibn Khaldun, Aristotle, Aquinas, Churchill, Confucius, Einstein, Gandhi, Heidegger, Martin Luther King Jr., Newton, Nietzsche, and Wojtyla – just to name a few that immediately come to my mind.

This three part series of blog posts is not about giants. It is about online community, why it is relevant, how to build it, and what we can hope to gain by building communities. I am asking you, the reader, to consider the bigger picture of community in Part One (this blog post) and to contribute to a thoughtful conversation in the comment section of this blog post. I also hope that you will follow up on the next two blog posts so that our conversation continues and builds into a conference of good will and commitment.

Expectations in Internet Communities

We all come to social media with expectations. Each of us, in fact, has great expectations. Each of us is ready to be pleasantly surprised (not mildly nor, God forbid, unhappily), for our hearts to be filled with thankfulness and lift. For our hearts to race like screaming engines on a Formula1 race track! Like gazelles leaping across the plain.

With ever more frequent occasion. We want it like moths seek the flame.

Each of us comes to the internet and social media with our own hopes and delusions. This is not easy street. Connections, for example, are not the hard and stable currency that we may have imagined. Community-building, on the other hand, may pay off. It depends on what pay off means to you. But not all communities are equal nor rewarding.

When we participate or build online communities, we are delighted when we discover there is much common ground between us and others, but there are also unspoken differences. The two are never more present when we exercise the greatest of our civil rights, the preservation of our dignity, freedom of speech, and to peacefully assemble in order to exchange and share ideas, affections, and assistance with one another.

Cornerstones of Community – Online and also Offline

Whatever expectations we may bring, however, must be subordinate and serve these cornerstones of community – online and offline. Because these rights are essential to the continuation, expression, and flourishing of our humanity and the communities to which we belong as members. Likewise, no right takes precedence over the other. Freedom of speech (even when we speak from our conscience), for example, must not prevail over our respect for the dignity of the human person.

It is easy to confuse these things when emotions run high. When we are tired because we have run a long race – most of us are still running because the finish line is nowhere in sight. When we are disappointed.

There are other challenges too.

Without a mission, a vision, community rules, defined expectations, a decision-making structure, and a decision-execution solution, a tribe cannot grow as a community. Without these rational assets, a community cannot effectively serve its membership. Nor can a community be organized to a common good – a common good which its members seek.

Having studied community development for decades, the Pew Partnership For Civic Change and the National Urban League put great emphasis on decision making and execution regarding the sustainability, growth, and success of communities. This may seem counter-intuitive to some. Rationality may not seem organic. But human beings are not to be compared to weeds. The green grass grows where it may and it withers away just as spontaneously without question, without crying outloud to heaven, and without fury.

Aspirations for Community Development

Broadly speaking, history teaches us that communities that build upon these cornerstones tend to thrive and grow into cities and, even, metropolises. Consider Amsterdam, Cairo, London, New York, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, any of modern metropolises. All had humble beginnings. Every modern metropolis represents generation after generation of investment, rational management and strategic development– sometimes a thousand or more years as in the case of Paris, Rome, and Cairo.

Community development projects in the last fifty years also provide us with lessons to consider when the cornerstones have been forsaken. For example, impoverished communities that lack rational assets, investment, and collaborative action perpetuate human problems, corruption and suffering. Bucharest, the Romanian capital, remains today but a poor memory of it’s glory at the turn of the 20^th Century. Bucharest was once considered the little Paris of Eastern Europe.

Aspirations build wonders like the Hanging Gardens, the Pyramids, the Great Wall of China, The American Experiment, The United Nations, The World Bank, and space-faring missiles that target planet-threatening asteroids many years away from striking. If online communities fail to aspire to drive progress and change, to establish a massive solidarity and deeper compassion for each other and the world, to unleash a world of we – then humanity has failed to make good use the greatest technology it has yet created.

If we fail to make history, the proliferation of greed, porn and poverty shall be the triumph and defeat of the dawn of the millennium.

Great Gamers are Social

It was the Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs) that taught me that rational assets of community are unambiguous necessities for a thriving online community. The failure of Facebook games, however, also reminds me of the same. Facebook games do not support tribes and community building. In their race to throw up time-killers on Facebook, social game start ups like Zynga and Playdom decided trick out something like a social feeling. But in doing so, they discouraged authentic relationships.

The success of online communities, in other words, is dependent on whether or not tribes can mature into thriving, growing communities that are committed to actionable missions and visions. That, of course, requires leadership as Saul Fleischman writes about here. Only inviting people into the tribe as often happens in Triberr, however, is not true leadership – it’s recruitment. Recruitment is only one piece in the puzzle of leadership.

Leadership does not fall only upon the shoulders of men and women who were born of gods as Homer suggests. Leadership falls on our shoulders- ordinary members of the community. Our greatest heroes, in fact, are not born, they are ordinary men and women who overcame challenges through intelligence and fortitude, prudently navigated terrible risk and loss, seized unseen opportunities, AND generously shared the boons of their triumphs with their community, their people.

The example can be seen everyday in MMORPGs and online games such as World of Warcraft, Planeshift, and Travian.

Dreams of Building Together in a Community

As I first learned from my work in minority politics, leadership does not fall upon the shoulders on a single person; it must be carried on the shoulders of all the members of the community in one way or another. The task of recruitment, vision-building, and mission-execution must be shared by the members of the community. Martin Luther King, Jr. standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial shared a dream of justice and hope– it is a powerful moment.

But it is not powerful because one man dared to speak about a dream, it is powerful because it is a dream that includes us all. Because it is a dream that belongs to us all. Because it is a dream that we dream. Because it is a dream which many have endeavored, sacrificed, and dared to keep alive, realize, and make true.

Each of us yearns for great love. To give greatly. To feel strongly. To serve heroically. To be true. To live fully.

This is a dream that we all share as human persons. Each of us owes it to ourselves to serve this dream. To serve it heroically. And never has there been a greater opportunity for so many to serve this dream and make history. Together. As members of online communities. Together, we can do good. For ourselves, others, and the world at large.

But we will only succeed if we do it together.

**Casual Collectives, Part Two (coming…)**

As we observe in the world and with particular concern about the cause of economic and social failures, true leadership does not come from an office like the edicts of a king or oligarch. True leadership comes from the good will and commitment of acting persons and a participative community. The greatest of leaders and the best of offices are those that articulate, coordinate, this same good will and commitment to a common good.

What is the common good of an online community? What actions must we as individuals perform in order that our common pursuit be fruitful? What are the benefits and duties of membership?

These are the questions we must endeavor to find common answers in Part Two.

Please join us in two weeks at Yomar Lopez’s blog for Part Two. Yomar’s blog is here: http://yomar.me/

Notes:

Stan Faryna is currently working on three projects:

1. A science fiction novel about the end of the world

2. A MMORPG

3. A community development project that will use citizen media to empower poor, rural communities https://www.changemakers.com/citizenmedia/entries/new-entry-137

About Saul Fleischman

Founder of emerging social media tool sites. Bootstrapping innovation with lean startup development teams. I do project management, user experience, PR, marketing and community development.

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Stan Faryna

Re: Sunglasses

Hyper-intelligent eyewear is the future. [grin]

P.S. Big thanks to Saul for taking a chance on a guest post that goes as deep as the #NJAB Podcasts.
- Saul Fleischman
  
  A little-known talent of mine is picking eyewear for people; I could do you better And as for the guest post, thanks for being part of my blog.
Christian Hollingsworth

Basically, you had me at founding fathers.

Those men were inspired. Directed. Whatever you call it, there was some great power in what they were doing. Directing a civilization for common good. Based on quality principles. Not a direction based in communism or constraint – but one based on the basic, human qualities within each of us that are good. The basic desires that are good.

They built a civilization based on a trust that we would make the right choices.

Much like any good parent would allow their child to learn, grow and develop. Parents do so with the same level of trust the founding fathers placed in us.

And what are some of those “things” that cause us to build a community around?

-Growth and spiritual development
-Freedom to share thoughts and creativity
-Love for others

Those are just a very, very bare few things we commonly want to achieve.

I like how you took a few different communities, and dove into their structure – what they seek to achieve, etc…

It’s interesting that with everything, there’s a ying and yang. A good and bad. There are communities who have common goals that I would suggest are bad, and some good.

For us, we have that simple choice: What communities will we choose to follow? Do we believe in their goals? Do I support the actions suggested?

Thanks for the brilliant post!
Christian
- Stan Faryna
  
  Christian,
  
  Thank you for getting deep with us! And you really did.
  
  George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, and George Read had great vision and hope like the others, but I name these three American founding fathers because all three signed the The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. I also name them because they also had strong opinions about independence, the young republic and government in general – sometimes very different opinions from each other.
  
  George Read of Delaware, for example, was adamant about reconciliation and he voted against independence. However, once the vote for independence was made, he signed the Declaration at the risk of his life, family, and happiness. And Read continued to work with the other founding fathers to define a constitution.
  
  I agree with you, Christian, that the American founding fathers defined a seemingly timeless vision and mission AND the general rules by which that vision and mission must be exercised toward the common good.
  
  We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
  
  When we reflect on these words, it is no surprise to us that “Americans” take such deep rooted pride in the American experiment, because it’s founding was made with such sure footing and noble gesture (as we can observe comparatively with the history of peoples and nations).
  
  But can we (you and me) do the same for a digital city-state or, perhaps, a digital nation? Can we launch upon a new experiment that captures the hearts and good will of the world?
  - Christian Hollingsworth
    
    A digital nation. What an interesting thought. Certainly there are digital nations out there. Roleplaying games. Facebook. Virtual websites for children to play games. Some are paid, and some aren’t.
    
    I guess it comes down to inspiring others? How do you go about inspiring a group to join in on a cause? That’s a whole discussion all in itself really. As a leader, you can’t push a rope. You’ve got to inspire within others the dedication to accomplish a grander vision, task or goal.
    
    So much to think about. I need to ponder this some more.
  - Betsy Cross
    
    To me it’s the same thing in a new era. Think about the times our Founding Fathers lived in. Think about the circumstances Christ taught in. How did they get their message out?
    Feet and paper. And it spread person-to-person. The messages had to be founded on correct principles or they would have slowly faded away. So there’s really no need to worry about inspiring people. Either you do or you don’t. The real question is how effective are we sharing the message and seeing the message that our neighbors and communities need us to share (from us or them).People who use the internet to support, lift and share will be doing the same thing faster and wider. They will see how it’s still one person at a time, but they will see how to affect whole communities faster because they will share a vision for a community project through a blog post, gather input through comments, get funding through crowd funding sources, etc., ALL FROM THEIR OWN HOMES, in their spare time when the kids are asleep or on a lunch break at work.
    - Stan Faryna
      
      “The real question is how effective are we sharing the message and seeing the message that our neighbors and communities need us to share (from us or them).”
      
      It is an important question, in fact!
      
      I also like this, Betsy:
      
      “[Sharing] from their own homes, in their spare time when the kids are asleep, or on a lunch break at work.”
Anonymous

It’s interesting to use the Founding Fathers of America as a segue into community building, but that is exactly what it was. To believe in something so strongly and be willing to risk everything is quite a commitment; it is appropriate to consider these gentlemen on the same stature as other great leaders throughout time.

Community building is realizing we all have different opinions and respecting that but also realizing there will have to be consensus building if it is to work. It it’s too fragmented or polarizing like the current state of affairs in American politics, it doesn’t allow for much to get accomplished.

I like to take it down to one person at a time; developing a relationship that is deeper than just ‘hi, how are you’ being said in passing. I do want to know what’s going on, what you are all about. I value the relationships I have and try to show it; I’m ready to lend a hand and find ways that will help you succeed or connect you to the right people. If I can do that much, get you in the door if you will, then the rest is up to you; but that is all most of us ask for anyway, right?

Interesting and deep, but that is what we expect from Stan, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing and thanks for letting me know where to find it.

I hope all is well with you and you are ready for a great weekend.
- Stan Faryna
  
  Bill, you are a gentleman. When I grow up, I wanna be just like you. No, really! You have a grace in your editorial style that is not just charming… it knocks it out of the park, buddy!
  
  Your style of engagement, much like Yomar’s style, is as forceful as it is personal and intimate. And not just that. people can depend on you. You’re reliable. Reliable like a blessing.
  
  My great aspiration for this series of blog posts is bringing great people like you, Christian, and many others to the same table. To think about important, deep things. I know we can’t do it all the time. But once in a while, it will focus us to the greater task ahead – a task that falls equally upon our shoulders.
  
  Thank you, Bill.
  
  Being the gentleman that you are, perhaps, you can bring some of your friends to this moveable feast.
Soulati

I never cease being amazed with the vastness and extensiveness (are those the same) of your intellect, philosophical approach and emotional presentation of fact, thought, fiction, stories, and so much more.

Glad to see you’re working on a novel of some sort; your writings are prolific. You take my mind to realms untapped.

Thanks for the invite to stop in … I have to say my community building experiences are way less exciting than yours.
- Stan Faryna
  
  Jayme,
  
  You are generous with your compliments. I can live off them a month at a time! Thank you, you wonderful you!
  
  I wish I was as smart as you credit me. You may be mistaking my stubborn mindedness about some fundamental ideas and aspirations as intelligence. Honestly, I don’t have a high IQ. But I am faithful to the things written upon my heart – freedom, hope, humanity… among others.
  
  Now, If my GF would let me, I’d take a pack of cigarettes and go sit quietly on the balcony for the rest of the evening- relishing your compliments.
Eugene Farber

Here you go with your chord striking again, Stan.

First of all, I can’t say enough about the Founding Fathers. It astonishes me to no end how so many genius minds (and I refuse to call these people anything but genius) came together in one place, at one time, to create the foundation of what we have today. At the very least it takes a remarkable mind to be able to break away from convention and comfort to try and build a new nation from scratch, the way the did it just takes it further.

I take issue with “global community” concepts like the IMF, however. I think communities work on smaller scale. A global community might not be realistic. People build communities on commonalities, and while the world is shrinking in terms of communication channels, it isn’t getting any smaller in terms of geography. We can talk to someone in Taipei from New York, but that doesn’t mean that we know what their life is like or experience the things they experience.

Heck, I moved to New York from Ohio and I can tell you the experiences are VASTLY different. Add in languages, religions and cultures and now you’re in a different world altogether.

I think a global community would be a marvelous thing. But I feel like it a “Utopian” idea. People are, inherently, political I think. Add to that cultures that teach you to hate other cultures (actually more like governments – won’t name any names here), and global community seems that much farther out of reach.

Don’t get me wrong, I think it would be wonderful. I’m just not sure that it’s possible given the complexity of human nature.
- Stan Faryna
  
  We not be able to build a digital planet tomorrow, and I may not see it in my lifetime. But that task is yours, Eugene. It is impossible. Yes! It is a fool’s errand. Yes!
  
  And, yet, the opportunity is real and waits for you to reach out and seize it with the same courage that took you to the Big Apple out of little Ohio.
  
  In the mean time, we can build smaller, sustainable online communities that can make a difference. And this too falls equally on our shoulders. It demands many things of you and me – prudence, courage, fortitude, and justice to name but a few.
  
  How awesome it is to have such responsibility! Awesome indeed, Eugene. Your name has been called. You tremble as greatness calls upon you. I understand. I once was like you are now…
  
  Life is not as boring and indifferent to you as you had imagined it to be, yesterday.
- Stan Faryna
  
  Eugene,
  
  It’s understandable that you might take issue with the IMF, World Bank, or the United Nations. They make decisions and policies that may or may not align well with local problems, concerns, and interests. The apparent objectivity of such institutions does not inspire trust as much as they inspire fear and suspicion. Because the leaders of these institutions are not elected to their offices by people. There is no responsibility or accountability to people.
  
  Every once in a while, we get a frightening glimpse of the consequences of such political detachment: recommendations for population reduction and the restriction of population growth, for example. In other words, these institutions do little or nothing to effectively prevent death and suffering in areas where hunger, disease, poverty, etc. are allowed to fester. For example, 20,000 children die every day. And this tragedy is not prevented because the outcome is aligned with heart-breaking agendas.
  
  These institutions, however, do not have complete immunity from public and world opinion. They are, ultimately, funded by governments. The leaders of these institutions are appointed by politicians. Governments and politicians, as we know, are acutely sensitive to loudly and locally expressed criticism, scrutiny, and protest. Local voices, however, face certain challenge from state and corporate influenced media (formally, journalism). They lack information, resources, and morale.
  
  Nor should local voices be expected to fight global threats to human dignity, freedom, and life – alone.
  
  The present casual collectives that represent today’s online communities cannot leverage the voice of the human family to shout down the conveniently heartless solutions of mad scientists forming the decisions and policies of these super-political institutions. Therefore, I ask you, Eugene, what must we do to prevent our present situation from deteriorating even further?
  
  I do not advocate revolution and violence. I advocate creativity, intelligence, and community.
Betsy Cross

Just the other day I’d been questioning how and if (better yet, why) I would be willing to spend as much time and energy building and rebuilding relationships with my family, friends (IRL) and neighbors as I was with my community of friends online. It really bothered me that there was a separation, a gap. But I let it sit as an unanswered question and continued with both the way that they were.
Two days ago a neighbor and I connected online. I was so surprised. Because we had the internet we have been able to get to know each other quickly. She posted a “community” request that I was able to help out with.
I’m just so excited to be getting a clearer vision of what the future hold for those who really embrace the technology that allows us to connect and not only spread our influence around the world, but make available important communication tools that help our own neighborhoods act more cohesively.
Hate to make the comparison without really putting much thought to it, but online town hall meetings came to mind…
One more thought. I believe as brothers and sisters of this planet we will never fail to achieve unity if our goal is always for a higher purpose. The one our founding fathers felt in their souls. The one one that draws on unifying principles that point people towards each other with the hopes to lift, support, encourage, and redeem.

The end! LOL!
- Stan Faryna
  
  You always get it, Betsy! How do you do that trick?
  
  I love your example. The power of the internet to accelerate relationships, empathy, and action (online and offline) is mind blowing. We’re taking it all for granted. That’s why we need to think about it. We don’t need answers, yesterday. But we do need to start thinking about the questions.
- Stan Faryna
  
  Betsy,
  
  I hope that’s not your last word on this subject! Because you have big, shiny, and beautiful things inside you and this conversation may be a good place to let them out and play.
  
  Speak your heart. You do it so beautifully, Betsy.
  - Betsy Cross
    
    To elaborate a teeny bit about what happened with Lydia…
    I see the same people every day at the bus stop. I’m always interviewing people (they don’t know it) and there’s so little time while we stand with our children. I only get little snippets of the whole picture of who they are. And we live next door to each other! Everything we do is related to the children. That’s the way it is in IRL. I told of a brief experience w/family history, we learned of each other’s blogs, and she connected w/ me on Facebook WHILE WE WERE TALKING! The next morning she recounted what she’d learned about me via Facebook and Pinterest, and Twitter, etc. And I asked her about her son’s condition which was the impetus for her to start her blog. Yesterday we talked about the community project she’d posted on Facebook. I learned about a family that was struggling that I had been unaware of. Another neighbor who was listening spoke up about her husband’s struggles…it goes on and on.The important part was the shift in me. She went from being distant and aloof to being human and very interesting. I wanted to support her message and am committed to sharing her blog via Facebook, etc. I see her as a leader in the neighborhood. She wants to reach out to those in need. The internet sped up the process of getting all this info. As adults and parents we can use a small part of our time away from our family but not out of the house (I don’t have a car so I can’t get out) and be instrumental in helping people become aware of what’s going on just around the corner, in our own neighborhoods. We can share blogs and community projects in a fast and effective way with so many tools like crowd funding sites (like Indigogo) for the larger projects, and Facebook for “friends’” call-to-action.Stan, you’ve opened the floodgates…I have to stop!!
    - Stan Faryna
      
      Betsy, I love your story of connection with Lydia.
      
      And, you know what, you are a member of my online community. I can help you share about Lydia. I will help you! So I need a URL to her blog! Yesterday. [big smile]
    - Stan Faryna
      
      I just read a little at Lydia’s blog.
      
      I’m praying for Little One.
      
      Here’s a little background:
      
      “Little One has Craniosynostosis. In short, his skull fused together too soon, thus causing the ridge over his left eye and the asymmetry. His case is not a major one, however the surgery is nothing to be taken lightly. His head will be opened up, the skull will be sawed and put back together, and the recovery is not easy. I have so many emotions swirling around in my head about this and luckily I have the support of many family members and friends to help him through this. We are expecting the surgery to be in November.”
      
      Lydia’s blog is here: http://thiscraftygirl.wordpress.com/
Bruce Sallan

Good stuff here. The changing social scene is fascinating. We get more connected, yet are more isolated? We can “talk” to anyone but “talk” to no one. Where “community” mean a physical place, it is now an idea?

Am I real?
- Stan Faryna
  
  Bruce,
  
  I’m glad we met briefly in #dadchat. As I observed in #dadchat, everyone seems to be equally impressed that the times, they are a changing. As a father, I’d like you to consider that what we leave undone in this world will remain for our children to suffer, endure, and/or solve without our assistance.
  
  We consume the world, but we do not leave the world a better place than as we found it. Among other reasons, it is also the consequence of our increased connection with the world for our own self-serving agenda as we harden our own position against a world that asks more and more of us.
  
  We can speak with the world with greater efficiency and, perhaps, effect, but we tend to only speak to the world – not with it. Because listening requires more attention, compassion, and responsibility than we can afford as mere individuals.
  
  We used to understand community as a place. But we always knew in our hearts that community was about people. Allow me to suggest that it is in us and that it has always been that way. Community, I would argue, is in the very design and dignity of the human person.
  
  You are real, Bruce, and we need you to help us figure things out, together.
  - Bruce Sallan
    
    Stan, my faith says we can do Tikkun Olam – Repair the World…and we can do it ONE person at a time. I believe in this with my whole heart. I believe, as a dad, it is up to ME to model this behavior for my boys!
    
    Consequently, they see me mentoring a fatally ill young man, being a Big Brother, and writing and speaking on a number of issues.
    
    Next up for me is fundraiser – Smile For Jesse – to bring over a young girl, in Ghana, to fix your teeth so she can smile again. ONE person at a time.
    - Stan Faryna
      
      I admire your service, Bruce. Tell me more about your fundraiser – Smile for Jesse. Give me a link. Give us a link. Here!
      
      One person at a time. That works for me. If we are to repair the world, we must serve each other. And one person at a time seems to be a reasonable and sustainable approach for each of us to do good in our intimate, everyday lives.
      
      Yours is a fine example of the virtue of generosity.
      
      One of my personal commitments is to advance Nisha Varghese’s clean water project. Nisha is a 20 something South African woman with cerebral palsy. She is raising funds for clean water projects as well as making sandwiches for the poor in her community.
      
      Did I mention that she can’t walk and she has very limited use of one hand? Nisha is bigger than her challenges. She reminds us that we can make a difference, have impact, and save the world according to our means. That’s what makes Nisha’s a hero to me.
      
      Nisha’s blog is here:
      
      http://nisha360.wordpress.com
      
      Nisha’s water project is here:
      
      http://www.firstgiving.com/nishavarghese
      
      There are some, however, that may be called to serve on a level that goes beyond the intimacy of helping one person at a time. They may feel a calling to lead others in great repairs and constructions. To give more. To connect more widely with the world. Some may feel called to ring out like a bell of freedom. Or like the watchman’s bell of alarm.
      
      They have the virtue of greatness (as Aristotle defines it) written upon the hearts.
      
      So the full answer can not be ONLY one person at a time. There must be many answers according to different virtues. One person at a time, then, is one beautiful answer among many.
      
      But imagine if Thomas Jefferson had felt the same way. Imagine if he cared nothing for politics and his fellow countrymen. Imagine if those signers of the Declaration of Independence considered their only duty was to help one at a time. All of the signers were men of distinction, honor, and varying wealth, and, yes, MUCH too lose by signing their names to that historic insult to their government. They could have helped one person at a time, handsomely, and at no personal risk. And their exercise of the virtue of generosity would be both beautiful and admirable.
      
      But had the virtue of greatness not been written upon their hearts, the whole world would be lesser, thereby.
Pingback: Who knew that Seth Godin was a prophet of doom! « The unofficial blog of Stan Faryna
Stan Faryna

Recently, Seth Godin wrote about what he calls the forever recession. I’m not a Seth fan and I rarely read Seth’s glibulations, but a friend suggested that I might find this particular post of interest. I just wrote a blog post about Seth Godin’s end times prophecy.

http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/who-knew-that-seth-godin-was-a-prophet-of-doom/

Note: You may have to copy and paste that to your browser destination bar. Saul has said that links are dead on his comment platform.

In Seth’s typical demure manner, he insists on the relevance of the revolution of connection. In part, he suggests, because the once proud industrial base of the West is crumbling as the Asian dragon jingles the keys to manufacturing and production in one hand and their own gold-supported currencies in the other.

Seth Godin suggests that the future is for those who wield online influence, insight, and impact. I would argue that the winners will not be individuals – regardless of how badly you would like to read that of Seth. They will be better, stronger, and more agile… online communities. Or as Jon Buscall suggests, small armies.
Anonymous

The social scene is changing dramatically–some aspects good, some not so good! I know some people believe that we are becoming more “connected” through all the available social media out there, but I’m not convinced of that. In one sense, we are now a global community, but there is so much relational superficiality taking up so much cyberspace, that I’m still trying to see where the “real” connections are being made. As an author, I see a lack of compassion and a decrease in social empathy via some of the social networking which results in kids bullying kids with little evident remorse even when their actions result in bullycides. On the positive side, I see some positive connections being made through sites where volunteers can sign up to bring food, do petcare, etc. for neighbors who are ailing. I think we need more sites where authentic and altruistic connections can be made to bring out the best in people.
- Stan Faryna
  
  I agree completely, Sandra. A smart community will empower us to connect in meaningful ways, locally and globally. Because a smart community has to be much more meaningful than likes, comments, retweets, etc.
Jack King

Stan, I love
you, friend! And I appreciate you more
than words can say.

As I
read your post (before reading the fabulous comments from your many friends), I
thought immediately of Aspens. I know,
probably not the thing most folks would think about. Perhaps it is because of my great love for
American Indians, and indigenous peoples generally. You see, one of the primary teachings across so
many nations is the notion of Mitakuye O’yasin — We Are Relations. That ‘we’ belongs to all life: humans,
animals, plants, and the environments that surround them. Moreover, ‘we’ are equal; none is better than
another. We can learn from one another, and
help one another. Everyone and everything
matters! I wouldn’t mind coming back to
the founding fathers and the notion of ‘greatness’ but, for now, I believe I’ll
follow my first impulse. I hope it is
helpful.

There
exists a colony of Aspen on the Fishlake National Forest in southern Utah. Some may ask, “So, what?” My
reply, especially as it pertains to community: Maybe, everything. You see, this
colony survives a single male Quaking Aspen whose root system is claimed by
some to be 80,000 years old, making it perhaps the oldest known living organism
in existence. That’s great, but why is this important and what does it have to
do with leadership and the uncommon connectedness of community or, dare I say, a
tribe? In simplest terms, an aspen colony — a community, if you will — thrives
not because of what goes on above ground but, instead, because of what happens
just below the surface. Those who choose to lead (e.g., moms, CEOs, janitors, entrepreneurs,
Eagle Scouts, Chiefs, and the like) must first learn everything happening on
the surface will likely take care of itself if — and that’s a really big IF — the
leader tends to matters of the heart — those things just under the surface that
can raise the tribe/community to new heights … or destroy it from within.
Remember what Emerson said: Those things that go on around us are of little
significance compared to what lies within us. Because each tribe/community has
many ‘aspens,’ we have a choice. We can
focus on each Aspen in isolation. Or … we can look at the grove — the tribe/community
— and realize all that goes on below the surface gives life to what we see and
feel. That’s right. Just beneath the
surface, every Aspen is connected to every other Aspen in its grove by a common root
system, often stretching across entire mountains. So it is, the true nature of our
tribe/community is hidden from view — we see the individual, but we know it’s
the heart and soul — the collective consciousness of community — that is
essential for the leader to nurture and keep connected. Of note, it is my considered opinion it is
not leaders the people (i.e., community) seek; they seek to know love. Just look at the Aspens! Hence, it is for the sake of love one
leads. Nothing demonstrates this more
clearly than the collective consciousness.
Taking that notion a step further, each of us — ordinary members of the
community — is that leader! Given the
opportunity to serve, each of us will gladly jump in to do our part for the
greater good, and we’ll generously season that ‘doing’ with love. Why else do it? Hugs!
- Stan Faryna
  
  Jack,
  
  Big hug to you.
  
  I see and feel the pith of the Aspen grove root system as a metaphor for our humanity.
  
  Like you, I also see our search for love and how our search for love is expressed through a search for healing, leadership, and relationship with mixed results – among other things.
  
  I also agree that the opportunity for each of us to serve (where our unique contribution is needed) must be ever present, ever remembered, and strongly felt in a sustainable and thriving community.
  
  How shall we make that opportunity so strongly felt that each of us will gladly jump in to do our part?
  
  This is a challenge that ever community must overcome – online or offline.
  
  I remember the terrible example given to me in a university course about how a young woman was violently raped behind an apartment building over the course of several hours and several dozen individuals in those apartments knew very well what was going on. The opportunity was there to help the young woman in several ways. The least of which was to call the police. But fear prevented every one of those individual witnesses from taking action as an individual.
  
  Perhaps, if those individual witnesses were connected with each other, if they were sharing intelligence, insight, and feeling with each other, AND if they were bound by common aspirations and duties toward living whole-heartedly, they would have had the confidence to stand together against evil.
  
  And it could have been that a young woman would have been spared a great horror and violence.
  
  How will online communities overcome the fears, reluctance, and indifference of it’s members?
St. John Marketing

This first post is such a broad swath, Stan, that I am almost overwhelmed by the volumes of questions, visions and paths I can take in a comment. Considering there has been so much great discussion already on a large variety of topics, let me focus on “The Dream.” Martin Luther King, Jr. found his voice on the streets of the deep south, where I walk every day. As a society, America has made enormous progress on a variety of civil rights issues, and the struggle against injustice continues. From my perspective, the struggle has become misguided in many cases, with the political machine perpetrating and perpetuating racial conflict in the name of winning power. This was certainly not MLK, Jr.’s vision. I fear that, in many cases, the interweb is being used for these same purposes, to divide us, create militants for various political and national causes, and the list can go on. Does that mean we should surrender, as you so eloquently stated, “to the proliferation of greed, porn and poverty?” To that I scream, “NO!”
We have seen in recent history the power of the various technologies we have available to do great good, in the case of people who are seeking freedom. We continue to see how they can do great harm. I am seeking now, more than ever, to take seriously the powerful tool I hold in my hands. I want to make it a tool for good. I believe that is the first commitment we all must make, before we can even begin to dream of creating a community for good on the interweb. I believe that personal responsibility was the root of the dream of MLK, Jr. It is sad that may of the “leaders” that followed him have distorted that for personal gain.
- Stan Faryna
  
  Amen, James.
Yomar

What’s interesting about the concept of casual collectives is that this may very well always be the case. Social media makes it easier to connect and collaborate. Information travels faster than ever but so does the junk.. The beauty of it all is that it’s easier to filter out the noise and get to the stuff that matters to us.

Communities align themselves with different goals, causes, values, visions, and missions. Not everyone will be willing to do something that reaches well beyond themselves. Part of is is selfishness but the other part is the tunnel vision that happens when we spend more time consuming or spending time frivolously.

So, while you have folks like you writing things that are meaningful and different, there are millions of others sharing silly photos and funny videos. There’s no right or wrong but I definitely believe that there is an opportunity here for small businesses to become more humanitarian because, even on a tight budget (and I’m a bootstrapper so I know), we can get together and do big things via collective economics.

Ah, there’s that beautiful word again: collective!

What I’d like to point out here is that there is no cause too small. If you’re helping others more than you help yourself, you are a changemaker. These efforts can grow with time, too.. That said, I know we could all do more than we currently are right now. I admit that I have so much more to do.. I need to step up my game!
Carolyn Nicander Mohr

Saul, thank you so much for having Stan be a guest author on your blog. Stan doesn’t write blogs, he delivers experiences. The eloquent insightfulness of Stan’s article is matched by the commenters. He inspires others to match his thoughtful views of the world.

Stan, what a brilliant piece! Your writing never disappoints.

I had never considered the idea of comparing online communities to great societies in history, but I can see it now. If you visit once great historical cities: Rome, Athens, Bucharest, you can see that their glory days were in the past (although who knows what the future holds?) . Once great sites on the internet can fall as quickly as they rise: MySpace, AOL, GeoCities.

The entire internet could have been a cesspool of spam, hackers, porn, counterfeit goods and pirated content. But lots of good came from the internet too, such as disaster relief efforts, charitable fundraising (such as Nisha’s Water Project), and the reuniting of long-lost family members.

What amazes me, though, is that the internet is what allowed an American living in Osaka, Japan and an American living in Romania, to connect and share their talents to enrich the minds of their readers. The beautiful irony is that Stan and Saul are providing us with wonderful examples of how to make the most of this medium.

Thanks to both of you for continuing to build communities by contributing to their betterment.
Stan Faryna

A recent blog post on Terri Nakamura’s blog got me excited.

Meetups & Connecting in Real Life: http://bit.ly/pzoGE6

Terri’s blog post is about connecting in real life. Her post centers around an email from Meetup co-founder and CEO, Scott Heiferman. Heiferman tells the 9-11 story behind Meetup and about how connecting in real life is still meaningful to those of us who love what we can do online.

What does that have to do with online communities? I knew in my heart that it did. But I didn’t understand how.

But then I got a comment from Yomar Lopez on my recent blog post, Who Knew That Seth Godin is a Prophet of Doom! And the insight started to come together.

http://stanfaryna.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/who-knew-that-seth-godin-was-a-prophet-of-doom/

In his comment, Yomar writes that he is going to lead local workshops to help people use social media and the internet to connect, engage, and expand their opportunities. And it hit me.

One of the things that smart, online communities must support is a member’s impact, connection, and engagement in their local communities. Smart communities that can do that will be more meaningful to us. Because like it or not, each of us still lives in the real world. Each of us has a location that is relevant to us – whether or not we acknowledge that relevance.

Agree or disagree?
Stan Faryna

You playing small does not serve the world.

I just saw that on Twitter via @LoriMoreno. Does it bear upon the discussion? You tell me!
Stan Faryna

Big hug to you Carolyn!

Yes, I am grateful for Saul Fleischman for putting his official Triberr reach of seven million at our disposal. Saul has proved by hosting this conversation that Saul is truly about more than himself.His generosity is to be commended. Thank you Carolyn for joining me in commending him for his virtue.

This collaboration is a beautiful example of what online communities should be doing. Collaboration is love in action. It is co-creation. But this instance of collaboration goes beyond me and Saul becauseyou, Carolyn, and all the others making comments are collaborators.

And how beautiful it is from where I am sitting. My heart is filled for a moment. I feel joy welling up.
- Saul Fleischman
  
  We are really getting people talking, pretty incredible – and thanks, @biebert:twitter @yogizilla:twitter @twitter-286790484:disqus @twitter-53416950:disqus and so many others. Talk about “community…!”
Aaron Biebert

It took me a couple days to get through this one, but I liked it.

You bring up some great points!

1) A community must own it’s mission together
2) There must be a vision
3) Rules are important

Stan, thanks for this!
- Stan Faryna
  
  That’s a good summary, Aaron.
  
  I’ll add four more points for further consideration:
  
  (4) Local impact makes it real
  (5) Useful information must be gathered, sorted, and made intelligent and/or actionable
  (6) Milestones and accomplishments must be owned by everyone in the community
  (7) Do good that can be seen or felt
  
  Here’s an interesting article about the failure of the Wall Street Protests:
  
  http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/95621/occupy-wall-street-protests-radiohead
Stan Faryna

Coincidentally, my friend Nisha writes something today that bears upon the conversation:

“… sometimes we underestimate our own power and think only famous people can change the world when in reality anyone who bands together with others who have good intentions can change the world. Do you shirk off your social responsibilities just because you’re not a celebrity?”

http://nisha360.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/day-385-power-of-we
Catascouts

I never thought of that but you articulated it for me:

Leadership must deliver hope and enthusiasm in order to build a /place/scene/situation where we ALL take part and we ALL benefit. Amen!

I have friends who play online games like WOW – you made me curious about your stew. Any idea when you’re gonna release the game?
Jon Buscall

This is a fascinating post Stan. Fascinating.

For some reason it got me thinking of the work of French sociologist and philosopher Jean Baudrillard.
He talked in the 60s of the networks of communication connecting us all together but leaving us cold, frozen almost in the web of myriad connections.

I think that we’re living in a post-Baudrillardian world really where the excess of communication (and specifically communication driven by late-capitalism) invades and assaults our sense of self.

As such, we need the network, the community and digital devices to feel connected , to come together.

Like I said, fascinating.
Paul Flanigan

Stan,

You’re on to something here, but one common thread keeps coming up that must not be ignored.

Time.

All of this takes time. A long time. A very long time. For most of us, the pinnacle of our efforts may not be realized until after we are long gone. Look at those founding fathers. A lot of people would like to know how they would react to what is happening in our world today (not just America). I believe they would all say, “Still a work in progress…”

The digital culture has given us a stigma of immediacy, that things can change overnight. MMORGs, in my opinion, have contributed to this. It takes only a few hours to build a community or a castle or globe or whatever. In reality, those things that decades of real time.

What is needed?

Perspective. Know that things take longer to cultivate than what is perceived.

Eager to read part 2.
Samantha Bangayan

I love this new understanding of our online community, Stan! One comment that really stood out to me was how freedom of speech shouldn’t prevail over respect. I think that one potential benefit of the Internet is that it gives us space for that pause before action. We have the time to think about what we exactly want to say or how we exactly want to respond before taking action. What’s important is remembering that we do and taking advantage of this.

I also really appreciate your call for leadership from all members of the community. It’s what I love about groups like KIWK — we’re all encouraged to be leaders. And as leaders, I think it’s important to both give and receive. This isn’t about dictatorships, it’s more about setting an example of what a responsible community member is like: someone who can be looked up to yet humble at the same time. That way, we all benefit from the friendships we make in the community. =)

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