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As more people come online to seek community, it equally appears to be causing an increase in occasions to meet offline. Whether it’s over lunch, drinks, or a longer engagement, it’s nice to use another means of communication outside the keyboard every now and again to connect with our peers and colleagues. (She says while typing up this entry…)
An easy example would be the BlogHer Conference. I attended for the first time this year and was interested in chatting with people about their sites, the platforms and plugins used to power our respective blogs in addition to learning about other community blogs. Those who attended had a connection to an online community, but it getting to see people interact offline that was personally educational and exciting.
I consider myself fortunate because I was able to return home to a place where there’s an opportunity to share and expand upon that knowledge with others. Recently, Portland hosted a WordCamp, which was sold out and had a waiting list, and where most of the speakers posted their presentations and supporting information within 24 hours of the event’s end. We also have a “chapter” of Lunch 2.0, where members of the local tech community can come together to share their knowledge and network with one another in a casual setting.
With so many buzzwords being thrown about with regards to reaching out to people via "social media," isn’t it really just about making a connection with those who have similar interests or are looking for others in their geographical area? It really is a small world, it just happens that we may not see one another in person on a daily – or even annual – basis.
Are you finding yourself seeking out opportunities to meet the people behind the usernames and gravatars, and/or, are you taking steps to encourage those interactions? If not, what would help you in building that offline community?
A. L. Venable is a Random Citizen. She primarily writes at Dimple and a Smirk (dot) com and Our PDX Network.
