Org Development

Growth Strategies for Online Communities

smokinggoat — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 21:01:35 -0400

A reposting of a presentation delivered at Online Community Camp (with verbal permission, asked at the session). The PDF is the same content as below.

Online Community Summit
San Francisco, CA
May 25, 2006
Prepared by: Robert Labatt, CEO ezboard, Inc.
rlabatt@ezboardcorp.com
www.ezboard.com | www.yuku.com

What is Growth?
   New Registered Users

How do you achieve growth?
   WOM... (word of mouth)
   ...and don’t pay for it

How do you drive WOM?

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Expanding Online Communities Internationally

smokinggoat — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 20:54:28 -0400

A dump of notes from the Online Community Camp. (Along with the text version of this file).

What are basic dos and dont's of expanding community website internationally?

Laureen - runs newsletters on focused topics (Java languages)
    best results - ask community - do you want to localize this?
    results through enthusiasm and guilt
    they have to spot check (but only occasionally)
    best practice: have initial "super user" who shares your language
    to measure risk, they sat down with lawyer and asked "what's the worst that could happen?"
    added disclaimers
    give kudos, name translators, refer others to them

Kurt -
    Microfinancegateway.org
    selected outsourcing partners (groups working on similar topics / issues)
    English content - want "localized" not just translated
    Laureen: trend seems to be smaller orgs wants to translate, larger groups want to develop own
    David - Asian offices want to repurpose all content into local format
    is it challenge with coporate culture or other issue? control issue

Adam - What about other way (pushing translation as opposed to asking)

Michael K- Canadian gov agency
    wanted official translation
    lots of money - but found it was going to be huge amt of work
    agency wanted everything in both eng and fr, but effort actually stunted growth of community (too much work to do it)
    Greg - "ownership"/ control of translation process seems similar to fear of independent bloggers going "off-message"
    Laureeen - if we can open source software, then can open source language (i.e. don't try to control it)
    mailicious efforts will be in focused on code, not in language

Michael (MyFamily example) - run by AOL
    used local community to do all translations (individuals would post content in more than one langauges)
    communty users asked for translation help
    AOL helped w/ initial localized content, then let users go to town to do themselves
    specific international community developed around the multilingual boards (i.e. small group of folks who spoke more than one language became their own community)
    had to redo the boards to add language users not originally targeted, but expanded into from multi-lingual users
    pre-research - legal research: what is allowable on boards in specific countries (and leads to more or less moderation)

Univision community boards - users flag messages for removal
    users (teens) write in both languages
    most users in US
    Europeans use Spanish on Univision site (but also local languages)

Michael (MyFamily) - brand loyalty to "free" sites is better than on managed sites!

LuckyOliver: what are strategies to develop portal for new language audience

Michael (MyFamily) - developed localized portals (with local hires)
    originally completely autonomous (then brought together 6 years level)
    Laureen - what decision led to consolidation
    business strategy (money savings, reduce duplication, could develop European products, not Germ vs. French products)
    community quickly adopted pan-Euro identity, while keeping local identity

Greg - if you build foreign lang content you then show up on foreign lang search

Michael K - duplicatd site into French wholesale (tranlsated content into French)-
    site successful - because of content
    Adobe forums - tranlated interface into foreign language, and it took off (no need to facilitate)

Louis: suggestion - seed community with "localized" moderators
    build out new communities from other localized languages (i.e. can go from Spanish to Greek, not always English to Greek)

Kurt - back end integration for multi-lingual communities? content could be duplicated?
    Laureen - not link content (???)
    Microfinance site: developed huge up-front planning, actually pays off

Gary - Java.net project (case study)
    translated formal documentaiton into other languages (starting with Portuguese)
    start with Brazil user groups
    huge benefit to localize user documentation
    open source lang translation tools (designed for very formal and structured docs)

David - if have single content stream (issue focused) - is there benefit of only UI and help pages localized? (i.e. most of content is still only English)
    Phil: Skoll Fnd = did do some localization, but main portal was English
    Michael K - customers can choose UI, but then leads to users posting in local language while most of site is still in English
    Michael (MyFamiy): rule of thumb - about 3k regular community members = will self-support localization efforts if asked

Gary - legal ramifications -
    AOL had paid moderators for different country-specific sites (because of legal issues)
    Michael K - had a Spanish speaking community( but no Spanish moderators)
    Took off (but they didn't know content), got negative feedback, had to shut entire board down (used terms of service as legal back-up)
    AOL community - added pop-ups with warnings when entering potentially offensive community boards

Kurt - what is relationship w/ government?
    AOL - moderated *everything* when working in China
    ultimately shut it down (because of pressure)
    Laureen - cutural issue - Brazil not regulate much, ZA pretty much the same
    Asian govts want more oversight
    Univision - has a lot of rules (legal terms of use)

Adam - where can we go to get more info

David - Wikipedia? (as resource / casestudy for how multi-lingual community works)
America - Wikipedia community manages itself
    main goal is to be neutral
    you build your own reputation
    Dave - underlying tech is very simple (interface and content is international)
    works best for long-standing contents
    even Wikipedia had problems in China

Michael (MyFamily) - ask the blogosphere

Kurt - use occ2006 and i18n as tags

Gary project: "developers without borders"
    Java.net stipends for students
    socially aware software
    students in developing countries
    want input on project and funding
    studentstipeds.dev.java.net

Greg - flags are chellenging when used toidentify language (what flag for Spanish? What flag for Portugeuse?)
    NativeText - blog translation tool - sign up, and others translate for you?

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Software Outsourcing joint venture by two companies

jimsoft — Wed, 22 Mar 2006 01:21:13 -0500

An International service provider of collaborative solutions for software product development, Symphony services last week announced their strategic alliance with company Iron Mountain. With the alliance that is mainly focused on Software Outsourcing the organization will help Iron Mountain to increase their innovative capacity of data storage solutions.

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Unisys Declares New China Outsourcing Center

jimsoft — Fri, 17 Mar 2006 01:46:12 -0500

An International IT services and solutions organization, yesterday announced expansion of their China operations by launching of its new Outsourcing services and technology center in Shanghai. For the next 3 years, the organization looks forward to expand its global sourcing operations in country of China and employ near about 1,000 professionals. The center will provide the facility of Software Development, Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing services with technical help of desk services or technology support and maintenance.

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Aptech Plan to buy two IT Outsourcing companies

jimsoft — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 08:28:14 -0500

Aptech Limited is making plan to buy two IT Outsourcing companies, one in the American and the other one in India. The American based company does not attach with any type of back office operations in India but the local firm would engage in the BPO and education or training services. In Pune, plans are afoot to ramp up with the learning services division from initially 200 - 400 employees by the end of the year.

The organizations are planning to set up a Business Process Outsourcing and Information Technology training services institute in the city it self. With the short list of three to four locations for this type of centre, which will built on space of 3000 sq ft, said CEO and managing director of the company. It would likely to become operational from next month. So a joint venture with the Malaysian government for IT training facility is also on the anvil.

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Aptech Limited Plan to buy two IT Outsourcing companies

jimsoft — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 02:53:30 -0500

Aptech Limited is making plan to buy two IT Outsourcing companies, one in the American and the other one in India. The American based company does not attach with any type of back office operations in India but the local firm would engage in the BPO and education or training services. In Pune, plans are afoot to ramp up with the learning services division from initially 200 - 400 employees by the end of the year.

The organizations are planning to set up a Business Process Outsourcing and Information Technology training services institute in the city it self. With the short list of three to four locations for this type of centre, which will built on space of 3000 sq ft, said CEO and managing director of the company. It would likely to become operational from next month. So a joint venture with the Malaysian government for IT training facility is also on the anvil For more information on above topic: http://software-outsourcing.netfirms.com/outsourcing-news/

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Athena-health has recently opened a corporate innovation center in India

jimsoft — Tue, 28 Feb 2006 08:01:25 -0500

American based organizations, Athena-health has recently opened a corporate innovation center in Indian city Chennai for medical practices that provides online revenue management cycle services to enhance their BPO capabilities through Software Development related work, and the story is according to co founder or CEO of company.

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Offshore Outsourcing is a long term Growth Business

jimsoft — Sat, 25 Feb 2006 06:53:13 -0500

Past few years has brought a predictable backlash against Offshore Outsourcing, with tales of soured relationships and early contract terminations. To begin with there was too high expectations. The people haven't been disappointed, who went with realistic expectations of 20% to 25% savings because next round of growth will be more sustainable. Indian firms, in particular, are offering increasingly sophisticated services; the reality is that Offshore Outsourcing is a long-term growth business, the new approach in Offshore Outsourcing will be open-beta development with community participation and frequent new releases essentially, use of software after being developed. The Software development trends is a convergence of trends epitomized by Google and the amazing speed at which it delivers new features will cause vendors and organizations to change the way they develop software by Offshore Outsourcing.

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Bay Area Examples of Partnership in Action

elio — Wed, 03 Aug 2005 19:12:48 -0400

Bay Area Examples of Partnership in Action [document also attached]

TransAccess

TransAccess is a nonprofit agency working in partnership with Silicon Valley businesses and the community to prepare people with disabilities for competitive employment. Through adaptive computer access technology and career transition services, TransAccess creates opportunities for significant advances in universal access, social integration and employment for people with disabilities.

Managing your Consultancy

Technology Success in Organizations: A Checklist for Leaders

jillaine — Mon, 11 Jul 2005 15:23:56 -0400

Lessons learned from the fields of technology assistance and organizational development indicate that your technology is more likely to support your programmatic outcomes when leadership is actively involved. Use this checklist (PDF) to see how well you rate. Created by Jillaine Smith.

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