#cmich

Hello, my name is MaKenzie Sebastian and I am a fourth year student at Central Michigan University. I am currently working towards my Bachelors degree in Business Communications. I am still unsure of what exactly my future plans are,  but I hope to work somewhere in the project management field. With this blog I hope to further my communication skills by expressing my thoughts in a scholarly outlet; in addition to connecting with my fellow classmates through a new medium. 

After reading the assigned chapters on online community building, it seems to me that those strategies are very similar to in-person community building. However, they are just executed in different ways online. 

The definition of a community is, “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.”

The definition of an online community is, “a group of people with common interests who use the Internet (web sites, email, instant messaging, etc) to communicate, work together and pursue their interests over time.”

As we can see, the definitions are incredibly similar; the ends are the same, but the means are different. Because the means are different, there are some specific strategies that can be beneficial when building an online community.

1. Give it some time.

Like any sort of relationship, it can take time to build and develop effectively. Something that many online contributors lack is patience: you need to let your users have a chance to get to know you online, and find those niches that the community has in common. The online community definition includes the words, “pursue...interests over time.” Nothing great is built overnight. 

2. Don’t be afraid to invite.

Many campaigns remain internal, and basically hidden from users that would fit very well into a community. Never be afraid to send out an email, advertise a little bit, and reach your market in an efficient way. Part of building community is the building part, and to do that, you can’t stray away from different methods of recruiting.

3. Decide and Commit.

Similar to algorithms many of these websites have been storing consumers information for years. Recently there have been multiple data breeches as well as companies selling their visitors information to other countries. Businesses can do their part to keep people safe by further securing the ares where data is stored, in addition to putting stricter security on their websites to avoid hacking and stolen information.

Consumers can keep themselves safe by being cautious of the websites they're visiting. They should also be selective with websites they put their personal information into, since they aren't 100% sure what the information will be used for, and who will have access to said info.

There are benefits to data being stored, since your information can easily be accessed anywhere you need it. Mentioned earlier, an additional benefit is algorithms and personalized ads. This is convenient so you have a personalized online experience with things you enjoy or that they can detect you may be in the market for.

These tools are incredibly helpful when it comes to our daily internet usage. Nearly all the apps we’re on include algorithms and store data based on our searches and likes. This is beneficial for things such as ads, since we are given advertisements for things that are relevant to us, rather than anything random they decide to throw at us. It’s also helpful for apps like Tik Tok and Instagram where they use our data to determine what kind of posts they should broadcast on our timelines. This leaves all of our social medias to become personalized to our interest and hobbies, furthering just how addicting they are. 

With these benefits, also comes negatives. With all of this collected data and information, websites can hold our entire lives and personal information in their reserves. Such information can be hacked and leaked to anyone and everyone. The information can also be used for identity theft, opening fraudulent accounts, and many other incredibly harmful acts.