How To Be a Community Editor (in 2 posts or less)

A couple of useful links for community editors (or aspiring community editors):

Tish of the Constant Observer shares her Seven Traits of Highly Effective Community Developers. I know some of ours might not be keen on number 3:

3. Must enjoy technology. These days, the tools of digital media are (or should be) easy to learn. Your community manager will understand — and be able to adapt quickly to — upgrades in tools. She or he also might suggest new tools, and will learn new tools pretty quickly.

Meanwhile Howard Owens shares some tips for newspaper people new to community management. I like this one:

Participate. When a reader posts incorrect information, offer up a correction or clarification. When a reader posts an assertion that would benefit from factual support, ask for it. When someone makes a statement that reminds you of an interesting quote or event that didn’t make your story, leave your own comment about it. Your participation not only makes the conversation more interesting, and keeps people coming back, it gives you credibility when it comes time to play cop.

One day I’ll figure out why that one is so hard for journalists. And then I’ll become a consultant and make a fortune… 🙂