Committed members of an online community are more likely to provide meaningful content valued by other users. Commitment also serves as an essential foundation for behavior regulation. Different types of commitment (e.g., affective, need-based, and normative) can be cultivated within online communities, and the optimal type to encourage depends on the specific vision and goals of the community.

Encouraging Commitment to Online Communities

Incentivizing or convincing users to contribute content on the platform. This can be showing them that the utility of adding content is greater than the cost of having to create it.

Encouraging contributions in online communities

Membership overlap in multiple online communities has been shown to have beneficial effects. Zhu et al. studied historical data of 5673 Wikia communities and found that higher levels of membership overlap may increase chances of survival of online communities. 

Membership overlap in online communities

Economics and psychology provide explanations for why individuals act the way they do and how they behave in social settings. These theories are based on observations of real-world behavior, experiments, and mathematical models. When understood correctly, they can guide decisions on how to:
- Establish a community
- Integrate new members
- Promote dedication
- Manage conflicts
- Inspire participation
- Coordinate efforts

to maximize community benefits.

What insights do social science studies provide on creating successful online communities?

Creating an online community requires a critical mass of users and a sufficient amount of content to attract and retain members. This is known as the critical mass problem.

In a cancer support group, for example, the content may be messages shared by cancer survivors and caregivers. In an open-source software development community, it may be a base of working code for developers to build upon. On a site like YouTube, the content is user-generated video clips.

Obtaining critical mass for an online community

The longevity of any online community relies on its ability to attract and integrate new members as existing ones inevitably leave. Without a consistent influx of fresh perspectives and participation, the community will ultimately decline. Even well-established communities must actively seek out and cultivate potential members who possess the necessary attributes, talents, and motivation to positively contribute to the community's growth and development.

Attracting and maintaining new members in online communities

- Screening out inappropriate members
- Moderating content
- Dealing with inappropriate messages
- Resolving conflicts

Regulating behavior In online communities

- Encouraging commitment
- Encouraging contribution 
- Regulating behavior of its members
- Attracting and maintaining new members
- Maintaining the critical mass of users and content

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

New York University

An "online community" (AKA internet community or web community) refers to any virtual environment where individuals gather to communicate, share information or resources, learn, play or spend time with one another. This term can be used to describe various social configurations, from small tight-knit groups to sites with millions of members.

Online Communities

Kraut, Robert E., and Paul Resnick. Building successful online communities: Evidence-based social design. MIT Press, 2012.

Building successful online communities: Evidence-based social design (Kraut and Resnick)

- Support communities
- Customer (brand) communities
- Coaching communities
- Event communities
- Action communities
- Circumstances communities
- Social communities
- Learning communities
- Networking communities
- Review communities

Types of online communities

Factors of a Successful Online Community

Online Communities References

Online communities can be built on a variety of technology platforms, such as email lists, forums, blogs, wikis, and social networking sites.

Where are online communities?

The defining characteristic of online communities is the ongoing interactions among people over time, some of which are facilitated by technology.

Online communities' common feature

Online communities serve a similar purpose as offline groups, networks and communities by providing opportunities for:
- Information sharing and learning
- Companionship and social support
- Entertainment
- Remote work

They can also generate benefits for people outside the community, such as **public goods** like:
- Open-source software
- Product reviews
- Encyclopedia pages

A **private goods** like:
- Suggestions for product improvements
- New product designs

for the organization that created the community.

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