Steps to making a popular community

I've had land before, and attempted to make clubs, stores, and other hangouts. All have just failed. Nobody has interest in them.

What's the secret? I would gladly pay tier for a lot of land if I knew it would be put to good by use by people using it.

For me its about being at whatever place u decide to make, talking to people, being willing to help and give advice i created a group and the people came we have concentrated on Trivia as people have got to be there to play trivia and would recomend SLTrivia to anyone, its gridwide and people love it.

Our group has grown to a decent size we have no real problems as some of the regular group members have the powers to eject and ban etc. on the group land but interaction is the best advice i can give you and always things on the land to keep people amused thats why i try to get there as much as i can when RL is not a problem or im not mentoring somewhere

Dont approach it either as a way to make money and be prepared for it to cost you L$ over time as u get esthablished and have fun doing it dont let it become a millstone and im sure u will be ok

you will most likely fail if you try to do what everybody already do.

For the rest there isn't a "popularity recipe" that i know of, only that it isn't easy and takes time, a lot of time

On Second Life grid, you don't make community. Community make you.


All kidding aside - you can't really 'make' a community, it's futile to even try.

However you can be as involved as possible with the community you are already personally part of, have fun, share, laugh and participate.

Then if you have land they will certainly come over and share their lives and experiences with you, and you'll be able to have a popular area which kind of grows on its own.

Aren't you there entirely too modest, dear Desmond?

I think that with Caledon you did just that: Built a community through laying the foundation for it.

Because what makes a community? Maybe it's a vision that attracts a number of people who share it and, together, transform it into (virtual) reality.

I was completely serious.

The only thing I had going for me was genuinely enjoying what I'm doing; I still do, and fun is kind of infectious. But it was everyone having fun, not just me.

Another really lucky turn of events for me was that nice people came to stay - nice, and not taking themselves too seriously for the most part.

What I would really like to do would be to get some land, and set up a mall somewhere, and let folks propagate the mall with their products, but I don't think I could generate enough vendors unless I was in some high-traffic area.

Another mall? Are you serious? Well, how shall I put it nicely: Are you sure that the demand for mall spaces outstrips the already pre-existing supply?

Correct. As I said in my previous post: I don't think I could generate enough vendors unless I was in some high-traffic area.

Maybe a mall and a art film house. Or a cafe with many RSS feeds that will have voice when it rolls out. Add one of those job bank machines and have a area with prims folks can touch to goto interesting SL-related websites. Have free classes there and readings. Once a month have a live musician perform. Even a mall can develop into a attraction that attracts community.

Make something that interests you, and it'll get visitors interested in the same thing. Then you'll all have something in common.

And be there.

As a Caledon resident, since -- oh -- last November or so, I can speak to what I see as the some of the important factors in Caledon's well-being and appeal.

1. I believe the sine qua non is that Caledon has a clear and easily-articulated theme. Pretty instantly, people know whether they want to stay there and get to know others and become part of the "scene." If I fall into conversation out there in-world, it's easy for me to describe Caledon as a "19th-century village" and for the person to know right away whether it's something they might like to visit. And since people will tend to self-select into such a life and invest a certain percentage of their SL activities in that domain, the residents become at least as invested in Desmond in the ongoing ability of Caledon to thrive.

2. Among the benefits of the 19th-century theme is that it brings along expectations of architecture, dress, manner, events, etc., which increase reinforcement of the cohesiveness of the community. I'm sure it's also very helpful to Desmond (affectionately known as The Guvnah) that this particular theme by its nature brings with it momentum toward general courtesy and mannerliness. (I find being called "Miss Regina" on a regular basis to be positively intoxicating.) An organizing motif of, say, "outer space" wouldn't likely be as effective in bringing community-oriented cultural values along.

3. I think it can't be overstated that, by his character and personality, Desmond exercises tone-setting leadership within Caledon that has a significant impact. Although wildly busy, he is courteous, professional, respectful, responsive, clear, non-defensive and genial. (Enough embarrassment for you yet, Desmond?) The tone he sets generates what I believe is the single most attractive element of Caledon -- the first thing I thought and what I hear from newcomers all the time: "Everyone is so friendly here." If he were nitpicking, unpredictable or weak, it wouldn't be the same.

The element above that I think would be most easily generalizable to other intentional communities is #1. The biggest enemy of harmony is misunderstanding and unspoken conflicting assumptions. If you create something people will want and give them a chance to help co-create it within the vision that they've signed on for, they are likely to expend some of their own energy in making it work. If it's only the energy of the project's leader that's keeping things going, it sounds to me like a recipe for disaster.

good advice. i suggest:

* start small. you think you'll need extra room for the future, but you don't. when you need to expand you'll know it. it's also easier to stick it out during dry spells when you don't have huge tier hanging over your head. think you're small enough? eliminate something else until you're at the essense of why you exist. which brings us to...
* make it easy to tell what to do there or what it is. if it's some coceptual thing that's cool to look at people will say "cool" and move on. but if they get involved that's stickier. and going with this, make any activities simple to pick up and start without having to read a notecard.
* be there. greet every straggler that comes to visit and they'll be more inclined to come back.
* watch what people do when visiting. you may find no one sees your cool thingamabob because they all linger around just inside the entrance. well guess where you should move your thingamabob.
* make it something you and your friends can do without anyone else. then it's a success from day one.

The only "secret" is that many "hangouts" I've seen are started by and for people who are groups of friends anyway, and then expand from there.

Unless a build is truly spectacular, it probably will not become popular without a social start.

*crawls under rock*

Yes!!! *cries*

Face it. A man gets what he deserves.

Suck it up.

Desmond and Parker pretty much hit it on the head there.
One thing I've noticed about the place I have going, is that you need to watch people, where they hang out in your place, where the crowd gathers. Be ready and flexible to change your 'vision' a little to suit the needs of your visitors.
You might have put a lot of work into a spot for gathering and chatting, but visitors go to another spot to gather, for whatever reason. Be ready to accomadate them, allow input and act on it if you feel it will better serve your guests.

Main thing to me (as has been said) be there and be accessible.

Good luck in whatever you decide to do,
Tigerchub