Last few months have been crazy, to say the least. Running around, screaming and shouting at a malfunctioning laptop, a highly erratic schedule when it comes to life in general and almost everyday an alarm or a shout of concern from someone or the other online.
Maintaining sanity has been a tough task. I must admit.
But it has been sorted slightly better because we can always identify a simple pattern to things. What requires attention, who needs immediate ear and more importantly what input should flow back into the system.
Running a now ever growing blogging community, these patterns are becoming increasingly critical in surviving each day.
Communities run on intent.
Intent as a pattern speaks volumes. It shows when no words are mentioned. It screams when silence has a dead pan expression.
Intent and not intellect run communities.
A few days back I was speaking to someone on phone. And we were having a candid discussion over blogging groups/communities. An aspect of it was of course the idea to read each other regularly. The person on the other side had certain inhibitions. She felt that she often wonders how to read someone she does not even understand.
I took a pause and explained it through an example. Which I will recreate here for you.
Communities are like families. We decide to support someone as a family member not only because we believe in their idea but because we believe more in the bond we share. We may not understand why a certain cousin wants to start a car driving school portal but by the virtue of our emotion to see him grow, we support him.
And we do not misguide him. We are always offering supportive critique, getting our contacts to put in favors and spending endless four am calls to make things work for him.
Friends are always your first tryst with community 🙂
Community is like family. You may not understand a blogpost but so much of a bloggers day depends on your single comment and share.
I recall when I had decided to start newsletters, I had the entire thirty WT members support me. Not only through subscriptions but also sharing. How many even supported the idea, I do not know. Because they never put this question out there. For them I was a tribe member and by virtue of it they had to support me.
Result? I today have 1500 subscribers. And in addition faith that I will always have a tribe.
All of this cannot work or happen until the intent of a group is right. Why all of this fails to work in light of self-centered outlook or ulterior motives is because intent is not word specific. One always knows what is the emotion on the other side.
And I have seen it so many times. Groups do not work because only a few of them do not have the intent to make it so.
Blogging is so much like life. Insecurity, bad intent and vicious emotions never get hidden behind a blogpost. They get revealed always.
Tonight tell me if you were in a community, what would be your outlook towards it? Have you had a bad experience with groupies? I am all ears. I have the intent to listen to you tonight 🙂
This week I’m co-hosting #MondayMusings with Corinne of Everyday Gyaan today.
Would you like to take part in #MondayMusings?
Here’s how it works:
- Write a post sharing your thoughts with us – happy, sad, philosophical, ‘silly’ even. Make it as personal as possible.
- Use the hashtag #MondayMusings.
- Add your link to the linky which you will find on Everyday Gyaan and on the post of a co-host.
- Use our #MondayMusings badge to encourage other bloggers join in too.
- Visit and comment on the posts of other bloggers linked here.
- Share the love.
I started reading it because of the picture you have used but a paragraph ito your post i realized how it even applies to real life and that relationships -friends or family all run on intent.i thoroughly enjoyed it.
Thanks Srishti and lamartiniere is so many ways was my first community, taught me so much 🙂
Winderful post .. and #blogchatter is my first community with people i havent met yet.
But its about blogging which i love the most, my passion towards it have made me get involved.. And i am liking it.
As per my thinking .. Communities will make you learn how others think and what needs to be done in every repect, it provides enough motivation to keep doing your thing.
Finally Intent has to be there, no one will succeed in anything without proper intent.
Cheers .. Keep writing 🙂
Yes communities when driven by passion for a common idea always bring results. They have ways to produce magical things 🙂 As we can see with blogchatter as well 🙂
WT was my first blogging community…I never knew I needed a community for blogging till I was a member of WT..Now, I’m more like the dormant and quiet member of a community, just like in my friend’s circle but I love being part of it and I’m always loyal to it 🙂
Like I said it is not the noise we make… but the intent with which we enter a community 🙂 We love having you over at WT Naba 🙂
Write Tribe was the first blogging community I joined. To start with, last year, I was one of the very few bloggers there who blogged about parenting and motherhood. Still, I found myself heard and my blog posts read. This was highly encouraging for me.
I have huge respect for Corinne and you, in the way both of you manage the blogging communities – Write Tribe and Blog chatter. I do understand it requires a lot of commitment, perseverance and hard work.
Thank you Anamika, yes it is true communities support when all else fails. They come behind you in ways they too cannot understand but intent drives all 🙂
I have been part of few communities, never had a bad experience (touchwood) but found awesome and inspiring bloggers. I used to be a very quite member, I slowly changing that 🙂
Then you are very lucky Rajlakshmi. Not having a bad experience in communities is seriously a miracle on many days 🙂
You know how strongly I feel about community, Richa. And despite some bad experiences, I do feel it can work if we want it to. Intent – that’s a powerful word!
Yes Corinne it can work if we as in people in it want to make it work 🙂 It is a powerful word both in action and impact 🙂
A strong community benefits the individual, the community as well as the greater society. It can be blogging community, a sports community…
Yes Vikram a strong community can benefit another community such as nation or sports as a stream….
Wonderful post. I belong to several online communities, groups, blogshares. I believe it is important to always support those members even if I don’t fully understand what they are doing or writing. As you said, just a kind comment can make a world of difference. Have a great week!
Thanks Lori 🙂 Glad you liked it !
I, too, believe that blogging communities are like a big, inspiring, happy, and diverse family. I am happy to be a part of this ever-increasing family.
Thanks Ankita for sharing the idea with your thoughts as well 🙂
I suggest we keep on re circulating and relooking at this post from time to time. I am sure, every 6 months we will have additions and modifications to be made here. Great post as usual
Anindya like the idea we must do this then 🙂
Communities are indeed helpful in making us better for there is a lot to learn from each member of the community and we know that there will be support group on which we can bank upon. Communities have really helped me blog better!
Reema you are such an integral member of the community.. we hope to see you grow and help us grow alongside you 🙂
I love the feeling I get from being part of a blogging community. The give and take, the support. I enjoy reading blogs and commenting on them too. thanks for sharing.
Yes Mary being in a community is a feeling 🙂
I got into communities very late and my first one is still my favorite. Yes – communities are like families. We support each other and stand by. Thanks for putting that perspective forward 🙂
Thanks Parul for liking this 🙂 You had a little something to do with this
idea 🙂
I loved “Blogging is like life ”
Experiences – I am somewhat disappointed with wordsmiths, my blog buddy group
No initiatives, no energy is what troubles me.
Don’t be disappointed… we will get them going love 🙂
It took me a Blogchatter session to truly understand the need of a blogging community, of being a part of one and supporting the other members. Reading this post has only strengthened my resolve to share feedback.
I’m loving blogging even more now. 🙂
Yes community help us survive the lows of our passions. Hence blogging becomes easier on many occasions 🙂
I started taking blogging only after I joined in a community. And that connection brought me to where I am now.
See meera that happens as well!
Immediate Society is the pedestal which rolls for us.Nicely worded.
Thanks Rudra 🙂
I have been a part of a few blogging communities and must say that it’s been a lovely experience understanding the views and interacting with bloggers from different walks of life. These experiences surely play a part in making one a better blogger.
Yes they do Aseem! because blogging is nothing without community 🙂