The Observatory #2: What's in it forum me?

Patrick Woods - Mar 6 '20 - - Dev Community

In this issue, we shout-out DevRel leaders on the move, hear from Orbit CTO about Orbit and Funnel on a podcast, and take a look at some perspectives on forums for community building + some bonus Slack emoji 🥳


🏎️ On the move

In each issue, we'll highlight key moves in the DevRel and Community space. Have a tip for us? Drop a note to observatory@orbit.love.


🎧 Orbit on the airwaves

Tune in to this podcast for favorite Orbit Model hits, including:

  • software is not sold, it's adopted
  • funnel is a model for capturing value for the company; Orbit is a model for creating value for the community
  • the Orbit Model gives us a language for describing the complex experience of community

🙊 What's in it forum me?

In our recent chats with leaders of dev communities, we've noticed more discussion around transitioning online conversation from realtime tools like Slack to persistent forums like Discourse.

Forums offer communities lots of benefits, like nuanced permissions and moderation, badges and progress tracking, and the added benefit of content that's both referencable and SEO-able.

We'd love to hear from you about your perspective on forums for building high gravity communities.

To start the conversation, here's a comprehensive overview to get everyone on the same page: Everything You Need To Know About Building Your Online Community Forum (warning: it's a little Vanilla Forums-heavy, but the principles are still instructive).

But does forum = community? Catch up on the discussion in the CMX Facebook group with this question: Can you share the difference between an online community and online forum?

Screenshot of the discussion

👇 Discuss below

  • What are some examples of effective developer community building through forums?
  • What are some common forum pitfalls?

Bonus round: Grab these 🔥 custom Orbit icons for your Slack


🗞️ Previous editions

Don't miss the next edition of The Observatory 🔭

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