Form your own online community

Share information about common interests and hobbies

By Charles Mandel

When Tracy Keleher decided to set up CanadianParents Online (CPO) in 1996, the idea was to create an online community with Canadian content. So, despite her lack of Internet experience, she set out to create her own version of a web site for parents. She certainly didn’t envision running an online community more than a decade later that currently boasts hundreds of thousands of unique visitors per month.

That’s the attraction of online communities: the ability to meet people with similar interests and exchange ideas and resources with them. These days, it’s possible to find an online community catering to just about every enthusiasm imaginable: sports, books, video games and more.

Explore an endless selection of groups

Marlies Cohen of Dartmouth, N.S., runs Marlies’ Creative Universe, which hosts sections about crafts and numerology, among others. Cohen first became interested in online communities when she encountered them while surfing. She finds their “globalness” appealing. “You’re not limited to your neck of the world. You can have people from Australia, Asia, any place,” she says.

Communities range from groups hosted on Windows Live Spaces to full-blown web sites with hosted chats and discussion boards such as CPO. CPO features thousands of web pages of advice and articles as well as discussions with parenting experts in such areas as pediatrics, breast-feeding and postpartum depression. Another helpful parenting site is Real Live Moms. Powered by Windows Live, this site allows users to search for information, connect with other parents and share baby stories and photos.

Keleher says most of her site’s action takes place on the discussion boards instead of in chat rooms. Each discussion board is devoted to a different topic. Chat works when guest speakers participate, Keleher says; otherwise, people prefer the discussion boards because they can post and reply to messages at any time.

CPO staff ensure the chat room is used appropriately. If users abuse a chat, the moderators can identify the culprits through their Internet Protocol address and prevent them from having access. Discussion boards are similarly monitored.

Discover a community you can join

Cohen’s advice for discovering a suitable community for yourself: look for something that resonates. “Rather than demanding the site change to your likes or dislikes, it’s up to you to find a site where you feel comfortable.”

You can also search for people with interests similar to your own. Using a social networking site such as Windows Live Spaces, you can grow your own social circle by connecting with new friends who enjoy the same things you do. Search by interest (e.g., shopping, travel, yoga, skiing) and see who shares your passions. To create your own Windows Live Space, visit the Windows Live Spaces home page, choose to Create your space, and customize colour and layout to reflect your personality.

Now you can blog about your interests and activities and post photos and videos for others to share. You can even build a Space for your team or group to bring people with similar interests together.

Set up your own online group

Cohen says a good place to start is with sites that offer free message boards or groups. She started her first groups on such a site, and as her traffic increased, she eventually moved to her own web site. When creating a group, Keleher suggests that your topic be well-stated and it should be clear about what you want to discuss. You shouldn’t worry about attracting a large group of people to your discussion site right away.

Setting up an online community where you can share your hobbies and passions with like-minded individuals isn’t difficult. You can use Windows Live Spaces to create a page for your sports team, book club or any other group you belong to, or would like to start.

Cohen recognizes that large sites with forums need more control because things “can get out of hand.” But she prefers the informality of her smaller site, which doesn’t restrict members and doesn’t have set posting times. She normally checks her site in the mornings and replies to any postings from the hundreds of visitors who drop in daily.