Introduction

Most people initially join online communities believing that they will receive some benefit. For an online community to generate useful content and an ongoing sense of community the proactive participation of a critical mass of members is required.

Many people like to lurk for a while before participating though there are many exceptions to this.

Some people contribute anonymously by personal response rather than public response.

Being an effective contributing member of an online community usually means having a combination of skills, an understanding of the culture of the community, solving logistical problems so that regular access is convenient, and ultimately an attitude of wanting to participate and contribute.

An effective online community will nurture newcomers with patience and tolerance and make it comfortable for all to contribute at their own level. At the same time it is important for participants to realise that learning occurs on the edge of our comfort zone.