I'm fascinated by the idea that forums were the solution to the need for community. Generally, when I think of what produces community, a repository of informa

I'm fascinated by the idea that forums were the solution to the need for community. Generally, when I think of what produces community, a repository of information doesn't come to mind. Not saying these libraries aren't *useful," but community feels like a more real-time (if not necessarily synchronous) endeavour. In that sense, what made the early internet cool on the community front were things like listservs or maybe even AOL rooms (I didn't experience those but I've heard about lasting friendships emerging). These were places where you could find a tribe and connect in a dedicated space. Twitter feels too public for this to be natural, and I suppose Facebook groups have some elements of this but are on Facebook and diluted by all the other dross of the platform. I think the emergence of membership communities is actually the next wave of this and likely a better solution. These communities are by definition walled gardens where anonymity is less valuable and the tools to support them work better when there's more of a sense of conversation. I'm not saying people don't do this on forums or Reddit, just that those seeking community can do better.