Today's Deep-Dive: Discourse
Ep. 77

Today's Deep-Dive: Discourse

Episode description

The deep dive discusses Discourse, a platform designed for community discussions that emphasizes civilized and meaningful interactions. Unlike traditional forums, Discourse is open-source, allowing communities to adapt the platform to their needs while promoting accountability through unlimited conversation history. This feature encourages users to reflect on past discussions, fostering a culture of respect and thoughtful engagement. Community managers play a crucial role in setting clear guidelines and modeling behavior, while members are empowered to take ownership of the community by flagging inappropriate content. The platform also incorporates a trust level system that rewards positive contributions, creating a self-sustaining ecosystem. Building a thriving community on Discourse requires more than just a good platform; it involves fostering a sense of belonging and engaging members through strategic content promotion. Overall, the process is likened to building a house, where a solid foundation is necessary, but the community’s culture and engagement are what truly make it inviting. Success in this endeavor takes time, patience, and a commitment to nurturing relationships within the community.

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Download transcript (.srt)
0:00

Welcome back to the deep dive.

0:01

You know how this works.

0:03

We take stacks of your sources and we turn them

0:05

into bite-sized knowledge nuggets.

0:08

Exactly.

0:08

And today's topic is particularly interesting.

0:13

We are diving into discourse.

0:15

And before we get started, I just

0:17

want to remind everyone that this deep dive is

0:19

supported by Safe Server.

0:20

Yes.

0:21

If you're looking for an expert to help

0:22

with your digital transformation,

0:23

check them out at www.safeserver.de.

0:28

Right.

0:29

All right, now we can get to the topic at hand,

0:31

which is discourse.

0:32

When I first saw the word discourse,

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I thought, OK, internet forums, message boards,

0:36

probably a lot of arguing.

0:38

But then I started looking through all the sources

0:40

you sent in.

0:41

Yeah.

0:41

And it turns out it's so much more than that.

0:43

Yeah.

0:44

So maybe we should start by defining

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what discourse actually is.

0:47

Yeah, so their GitHub Read Me describes it

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as a platform for community discussion, free, open, simple.

0:55

But it's used by over 20,000 communities.

0:57

That simple part really stood out to me, though,

0:59

because sometimes simple just means, like, lacking features

1:02

or difficult to use.

1:04

Like, what's the catch?

1:05

Yeah, no.

1:06

I mean, it's simple in a way that makes it adaptable.

1:09

It's open source, so anyone can see the code,

1:11

understand how it works, contribute improvement.

1:13

Because it's not simple as in basic.

1:15

It's simple as in elegant.

1:17

Exactly.

1:17

Got it.

1:19

So we're talking more than just, like,

1:22

a forum for arguing about the best

1:26

way to make a grilled cheese, right?

1:27

What are some examples of how discourse is actually

1:30

being used out in the wild?

1:32

So for example, the Alt-NBA program

1:35

uses it for their online workshops.

1:36

It really emphasizes that conversational aspect of it.

1:39

And then you have Twitch, which has a massive developer

1:42

community.

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They use it for their developer advocacy program.

1:46

Interesting.

1:47

So clearly, it can scale.

1:49

It's adaptable.

1:49

It's very adaptable.

1:51

One phrase that kept popping up in these sources,

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though, was this idea of civilized discussion, which

1:56

honestly feels a little ironic when

1:58

we're talking about the internet.

2:00

So is that just like a marketing gimmick?

2:04

Or is there something more to it?

2:05

I think it's more than a marketing gimmick, yeah.

2:07

They're very much trying to combat the negativity we

2:09

usually associate with the internet

2:11

with online discussions.

2:12

OK.

2:14

I'm intrigued.

2:15

How do they actually do that?

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What's the secret sauce?

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Well, one key ingredient is, unlike a lot of other platforms

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where your comments disappear into the void after a while,

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discourse emphasizes unlimited conversation history.

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Everything is preserved.

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So you can't just like jump in, drop a hot take, and disappear.

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Right.

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There's actually a record of what you said.

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It encourages users to reflect on past discussions.

2:42

I like that.

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That creates a sense of accountability.

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Exactly, yeah.

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Like your words have lasting impact.

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And it also adds context.

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Because sometimes online, you miss a lot of the nuance.

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Having the full history there helps you understand

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where people are coming from.

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You get a deeper understanding not just of the topic,

3:00

but of the people discussing it as well.

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So it's not just a series of disconnected comments.

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You can actually see the evolution of ideas

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and the relationships between the people

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having those discussions.

3:11

Yeah.

3:11

And they also have real-time chat features too.

3:14

Oh, OK.

3:14

So it's not all just like super serious academic debate.

3:19

You can have those quick back and forths as well.

3:21

So there's a balance there.

3:22

Yeah, a balance between the long form, thoughtful discussion,

3:26

and the real-time chat.

3:28

I'm sensing a theme here.

3:29

Yeah.

3:29

Balance is key.

3:31

Another thing you mentioned was portable data.

3:33

Yeah.

3:33

What does that mean?

3:35

If I leave a discourse community,

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I can take my posts and discussions with me.

3:38

Yeah, exactly.

3:40

You own your content.

3:41

It's not locked into that specific community.

3:44

Wow.

3:44

It's not trapped in that walled garden.

3:46

That changes things.

3:47

Yeah, it promotes responsibility.

3:50

Because you know your words have lasting value.

3:53

They're not just going to disappear

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if the platform disappears.

3:56

Right, exactly.

3:57

And to support all of this, they also

4:00

provide a lot of community management tools

4:02

that are built right into the platform.

4:04

OK, so we've talked about individual responsibility.

4:06

But how about from the community management side?

4:09

What can they do to sort of help promote this kind of discussion

4:14

on the platform?

4:15

Right, well the platform being open source

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also means that anyone can download the code.

4:20

You know, they can modify it, host their own instance.

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So we're not talking about just like tweaking themes

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or setting some basic rules.

4:28

Like you can actually go in and change the code

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to fit your community's needs.

4:32

Exactly, yeah.

4:33

It gives communities a lot of control

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over how they want to interact.

4:38

It makes sense.

4:39

If you have ownership over the platform,

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you're more likely to care about its success.

4:43

Right.

4:43

You want to create a positive environment.

4:45

Right, yeah.

4:46

You're not just beholden to some faceless corporation

4:49

to dictate the terms of your interaction.

4:52

You're tending your own garden, so to speak.

4:54

Exactly.

4:55

Yeah.

4:56

So we've got this foundation of individual responsibility,

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but then we've also got this element of community ownership.

5:02

Yeah.

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And that kind of ties back to civilized discussion.

5:05

Exactly, yeah.

5:07

It's about cultivating a culture of respect.

5:10

OK.

5:11

So besides having those tools, what else

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can community managers do?

5:18

I'm picturing them like digital referees running around,

5:20

blowing the whistle on bad behavior.

5:22

Right.

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But it's more about transparency and moderation.

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So they have the tools to clearly communicate guidelines

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to moderate discussions.

5:32

So it's not just about shutting down bad behavior.

5:34

Right.

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It's about being transparent about,

5:37

why certain things aren't acceptable.

5:39

Exactly.

5:40

Yeah.

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Explain the reasoning behind the rules.

5:43

It's educational.

5:43

It's educational.

5:44

And the unlimited conversation history kind of plays

5:46

into that as well, right?

5:47

Right.

5:48

Because if someone breaks the rules,

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you can actually point back to a specific example.

5:51

Yeah, right.

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So it's not just, well, I don't like what you said.

5:54

Right.

5:54

Well, you broke this specific rule,

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and here's the history of how that's

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been applied in the past.

5:59

Exactly.

6:00

And it allows for learning and growth.

6:02

Right.

6:03

They can understand why their actions were problematic

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and adjust their behavior.

6:06

OK.

6:07

So it's less about punishment and more

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about guiding people to become better community members.

6:13

Right, exactly.

6:14

I like that.

6:15

Does discourse have any other tools, though,

6:17

to kind of help with that?

6:19

So there is a built-in trust level system, for example.

6:22

So as users participate, they contribute positively.

6:25

They gain trust levels, which grants them more privileges.

6:29

It's like a video game, but for discussion.

6:31

Exactly, yeah.

6:32

You level up by being a good community member.

6:35

Right.

6:35

That's pretty cool.

6:36

It gamifies the experience a bit,

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encourages that positive behavior.

6:41

And it helps identify those core members

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who can then help to shape the culture

6:46

and guide the newcomers, right?

6:47

Exactly, yeah.

6:48

It's really brilliant when you think about it,

6:51

because you're creating this self-sustaining ecosystem.

6:54

Right, yeah.

6:55

It goes back to community ownership.

6:56

You know, the most engaged members become the leaders.

6:59

And when you have members that are really invested

7:02

in the community, they want it to succeed.

7:04

Right.

7:05

So it's a win-win.

7:06

Okay, I'm convinced this is way more than just a forum.

7:08

It's like a whole philosophy, almost.

7:11

A philosophy of community building.

7:12

Yeah.

7:13

It's a toolkit for fostering thoughtful interaction.

7:16

Okay.

7:17

So this has all been very fascinating,

7:20

but I'm sure some of our listeners out there are thinking,

7:22

okay, but how do I actually get started with discourse?

7:27

Where do I go from here?

7:28

Well, the good news is it's pretty easy to get started.

7:31

Their website has a really comprehensive installation guide

7:35

that walks you through the entire process.

7:38

Oh, okay.

7:39

So there's documentation to guide you.

7:40

Yeah.

7:41

Very clear documentation.

7:42

What if you're not, you know, a super technical person?

7:45

Right.

7:46

Is it still accessible?

7:47

Yeah.

7:48

It's very user-friendly.

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You don't need to be a coding expert or like a server management guru to get

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started with

7:53

it.

7:54

Okay.

7:55

So you don't need to be a tech wizard to have a thriving community.

7:58

Right.

7:59

And they also have a really great community of users.

8:02

So if you run into any issues, there's a ton of support out there.

8:04

It's good to have that backup.

8:06

And there's also managed hosting options.

8:08

Oh, okay.

8:09

So if you don't want to deal with the technical details yourself, you could just

8:12

outsource

8:13

that.

8:14

Just outsource it.

8:15

Yeah.

8:16

That's cool.

8:17

Yeah.

8:18

So you've got built-in support.

8:19

You've got the option to outsource it if you need to.

8:20

It's all about finding that solution that works best for you.

8:23

Right.

8:24

Exactly.

8:25

You know, my mind's already racing thinking about all the possibilities here.

8:27

Yeah.

8:28

But before we get too carried away with our discourse dreams, I think it's time to

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take

8:31

a quick break.

8:32

Okay.

8:33

We'll be right back with more insights from our deep dive into the world of online

8:38

communities.

8:42

Welcome back to the deep dive.

8:44

And a big thank you again to Safe Server, our sponsor, for supporting this episode.

8:48

You can find them at www.dysafeserver.de.

8:54

So before the break, we were talking about all the features that make discourse so

8:57

user-friendly

8:58

and accessible.

8:59

But having a good platform is only half the battle, right?

9:02

Like how do you actually build a thriving community?

9:05

It's not like you just, you know, set it and forget it.

9:07

Right.

9:08

It's more like building a house.

9:09

Like the platform is the foundation, but you still need to furnish it, decorate it,

9:12

make

9:12

it a place where people actually want to hang out.

9:14

Okay.

9:15

I love that analogy.

9:16

So how do you create that kind of welcoming, engaging atmosphere on discourse?

9:21

Like what are the essential ingredients?

9:22

Well, one thing that really jumped out at me from the sources was this idea of

9:27

fostering

9:28

a sense of belonging.

9:29

You know, people need to feel like they're part of something bigger, like their

9:34

contributions

9:34

are valued, their voices are heard.

9:36

It's about creating that safe space, right?

9:38

Where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, even if they're maybe a little

9:42

bit

9:42

controversial.

9:43

Exactly.

9:44

And that kind of ties back to this idea of civilized discussion.

9:47

It's not just about being polite, it's about creating an environment where people

9:51

can express

9:51

themselves authentically and engage in, you know, respectful debate.

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Which can be a real challenge online, let's be honest.

9:58

So how do you actually cultivate that kind of atmosphere in a digital space?

10:03

Well, it starts with setting clear expectations from the very beginning.

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You know, community guidelines should be front and center, easy to understand, and

10:12

framed

10:12

in a positive way too.

10:13

Right, so not, don't be a jerk, but more like, we value respectful communication

10:19

and,

10:19

you know, we encourage diverse perspectives.

10:22

Exactly.

10:23

It sets the tone for the community.

10:25

But guidelines are only as good as their enforcement, right?

10:27

Right.

10:28

Because community managers come in.

10:29

They're not just moderators, they're kind of like role models, right?

10:32

Yeah.

10:33

They set the example, they hold people accountable.

10:34

But it can't just be a top-down approach, right?

10:36

Like, the community itself needs to be involved in shaping the culture.

10:40

Right.

10:41

It's about empowering those members to take ownership of their space.

10:46

Okay, but how does that actually work on a practical level?

10:50

Well, for example, Discourse has tools that allow members to flag posts that

10:55

violate the

10:55

guidelines.

10:56

Okay.

10:57

So that legislators can review those flags and take appropriate action.

11:00

So it's a collaborative process?

11:02

Yeah.

11:03

It builds trust.

11:04

Okay, so we've got clear guidelines, engaged community managers, empowered members.

11:08

What's the final piece of the puzzle here?

11:11

What makes a Discourse community really thrive?

11:14

Content.

11:15

A community is only as good as the conversations it sparks.

11:19

Makes sense.

11:20

Like, a beautiful platform is meaningless if there's nothing interesting being

11:23

discussed.

11:23

No, community managers need to be strategic about the content they're promoting.

11:28

Okay.

11:29

You know, what resonates with their audience?

11:31

How can they encourage members to share their expertise?

11:34

To create a buzz around upcoming discussions?

11:37

It's not just about throwing up a forum and hoping for the best.

11:41

Exactly.

11:42

It's about being proactive.

11:43

Okay.

11:44

Well, expert, this has been a fantastic deep dive.

11:47

I've learned a lot.

11:49

Any final words of wisdom for our listeners as they embark on their own Discourse

11:53

journey?

11:53

Sure.

11:54

Just remember, building a community takes time.

11:58

Don't expect overnight success.

12:00

It's about cultivating relationships, building trust.

12:02

It's a marathon, not a sprint.

12:04

But the rewards are worth it, right?

12:06

Oh, absolutely.

12:07

When you create a thriving online community, you're not just building a website.

12:11

You're building a network of support, a source of inspiration.

12:15

You're building a platform for positive change.

12:18

Beautiful.

12:19

Well, listeners, I hope this deep dive into Discourse has inspired you to think

12:22

differently

12:22

about the power of online communities.

12:25

And if you're ready to launch your own digital transformation, remember to check

12:28

out our

12:28

Until next time, keep diving deep and keep those conversations going.

12:28

Until next time, keep diving deep and keep those conversations going.