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In a way, the stack exchange product and ning are very similar. Both tried to create an out-of-the-box product to fill a need. The reason both did not succeed
by proee 17y ago
In a way, the stack exchange product and ning are very similar. Both tried to create an out-of-the-box product to fill a need. The reason both did not succeed is probably the same as well - too many half-baked communities with nobody behind them.
If hindsight is 20/20, what could Stack Exchange and Ning do different to make it work?
Or on another note, what sites out there have tweaked the model and are doing well?
- SlyShy 17y agoThey could take a hint from Hacker News. Creating a successful community is all about pre-seeding it. Of course, the problem is this can't be scaled. Making enough friends to found a domain specific website with a good group of them isn't easy work. Communities aren't easy.
- sriramk 17y agoSO did successfully create a community. I think they ran into the problem that SO itself was successful because of the 'personal brand' of Jeff Atwood and Joel and this didn't extend easily to other communities. Or maybe it is because the coders who hang out on SO are a weird bunch :)
- netcan 17y agoWell, if their statements are anything to go by, we can see what they are going to do differently to try and make it work. They are moving away from the 'provide the platform, get out of the way, let 1000 flowers bloom.' Stack Exchange is going to be launching sites themselves with a more regimented process that (they hope) has a high success rate. *After seeing Slinkset (I liked that one), these two, Wikimedia etc. have such a hard time getting successful sites going, I have a new appreciation for forums. Forums work. There are a lot of non ghost town, forums started by non social software gurus.