Welcome back to the deep dive.
You know how this works.
We take stacks of your sources and we turn them
into bite-sized knowledge nuggets.
Exactly.
And today's topic is particularly interesting.
We are diving into discourse.
And before we get started, I just
want to remind everyone that this deep dive is
supported by Safe Server.
Yes.
If you're looking for an expert to help
with your digital transformation,
check them out at www.safeserver.de.
Right.
All right, now we can get to the topic at hand,
which is discourse.
When I first saw the word discourse,
I thought, OK, internet forums, message boards,
probably a lot of arguing.
But then I started looking through all the sources
you sent in.
Yeah.
And it turns out it's so much more than that.
Yeah.
So maybe we should start by defining
what discourse actually is.
Yeah, so their GitHub Read Me describes it
as a platform for community discussion, free, open, simple.
But it's used by over 20,000 communities.
That simple part really stood out to me, though,
because sometimes simple just means, like, lacking features
or difficult to use.
Like, what's the catch?
Yeah, no.
I mean, it's simple in a way that makes it adaptable.
It's open source, so anyone can see the code,
understand how it works, contribute improvement.
Because it's not simple as in basic.
It's simple as in elegant.
Exactly.
Got it.
So we're talking more than just, like,
a forum for arguing about the best
way to make a grilled cheese, right?
What are some examples of how discourse is actually
being used out in the wild?
So for example, the Alt-NBA program
uses it for their online workshops.
It really emphasizes that conversational aspect of it.
And then you have Twitch, which has a massive developer
community.
They use it for their developer advocacy program.
Interesting.
So clearly, it can scale.
It's adaptable.
It's very adaptable.
One phrase that kept popping up in these sources,
though, was this idea of civilized discussion, which
honestly feels a little ironic when
we're talking about the internet.
So is that just like a marketing gimmick?
Or is there something more to it?
I think it's more than a marketing gimmick, yeah.
They're very much trying to combat the negativity we
usually associate with the internet
with online discussions.
OK.
I'm intrigued.
How do they actually do that?
What's the secret sauce?
Well, one key ingredient is, unlike a lot of other platforms
where your comments disappear into the void after a while,
discourse emphasizes unlimited conversation history.
Everything is preserved.
So you can't just like jump in, drop a hot take, and disappear.
Right.
There's actually a record of what you said.
It encourages users to reflect on past discussions.
I like that.
That creates a sense of accountability.
Exactly, yeah.
Like your words have lasting impact.
And it also adds context.
Because sometimes online, you miss a lot of the nuance.
Having the full history there helps you understand
where people are coming from.
You get a deeper understanding not just of the topic,
but of the people discussing it as well.
So it's not just a series of disconnected comments.
You can actually see the evolution of ideas
and the relationships between the people
having those discussions.
Yeah.
And they also have real-time chat features too.
Oh, OK.
So it's not all just like super serious academic debate.
You can have those quick back and forths as well.
So there's a balance there.
Yeah, a balance between the long form, thoughtful discussion,
and the real-time chat.
I'm sensing a theme here.
Yeah.
Balance is key.
Another thing you mentioned was portable data.
Yeah.
What does that mean?
If I leave a discourse community,
I can take my posts and discussions with me.
Yeah, exactly.
You own your content.
It's not locked into that specific community.
Wow.
It's not trapped in that walled garden.
That changes things.
Yeah, it promotes responsibility.
Because you know your words have lasting value.
They're not just going to disappear
if the platform disappears.
Right, exactly.
And to support all of this, they also
provide a lot of community management tools
that are built right into the platform.
OK, so we've talked about individual responsibility.
But how about from the community management side?
What can they do to sort of help promote this kind of discussion
on the platform?
Right, well the platform being open source
also means that anyone can download the code.
You know, they can modify it, host their own instance.
So we're not talking about just like tweaking themes
or setting some basic rules.
Like you can actually go in and change the code
to fit your community's needs.
Exactly, yeah.
It gives communities a lot of control
over how they want to interact.
It makes sense.
If you have ownership over the platform,
you're more likely to care about its success.
Right.
You want to create a positive environment.
Right, yeah.
You're not just beholden to some faceless corporation
to dictate the terms of your interaction.
You're tending your own garden, so to speak.
Exactly.
Yeah.
So we've got this foundation of individual responsibility,
but then we've also got this element of community ownership.
Yeah.
And that kind of ties back to civilized discussion.
Exactly, yeah.
It's about cultivating a culture of respect.
OK.
So besides having those tools, what else
can community managers do?
I'm picturing them like digital referees running around,
blowing the whistle on bad behavior.
Right.
But it's more about transparency and moderation.
So they have the tools to clearly communicate guidelines
to moderate discussions.
So it's not just about shutting down bad behavior.
Right.
It's about being transparent about,
why certain things aren't acceptable.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Explain the reasoning behind the rules.
It's educational.
And the unlimited conversation history kind of plays
into that as well, right?
Right.
Because if someone breaks the rules,
you can actually point back to a specific example.
Yeah, right.
So it's not just, well, I don't like what you said.
Right.
Well, you broke this specific rule,
and here's the history of how that's
been applied in the past.
Exactly.
And it allows for learning and growth.
Right.
They can understand why their actions were problematic
and adjust their behavior.
OK.
So it's less about punishment and more
about guiding people to become better community members.
Right, exactly.
I like that.
Does discourse have any other tools, though,
to kind of help with that?
So there is a built-in trust level system, for example.
So as users participate, they contribute positively.
They gain trust levels, which grants them more privileges.
It's like a video game, but for discussion.
Exactly, yeah.
You level up by being a good community member.
Right.
That's pretty cool.
It gamifies the experience a bit,
encourages that positive behavior.
And it helps identify those core members
who can then help to shape the culture
and guide the newcomers, right?
Exactly, yeah.
It's really brilliant when you think about it,
because you're creating this self-sustaining ecosystem.
Right, yeah.
It goes back to community ownership.
You know, the most engaged members become the leaders.
And when you have members that are really invested
in the community, they want it to succeed.
Right.
So it's a win-win.
Okay, I'm convinced this is way more than just a forum.
It's like a whole philosophy, almost.
A philosophy of community building.
Yeah.
It's a toolkit for fostering thoughtful interaction.
Okay.
So this has all been very fascinating,
but I'm sure some of our listeners out there are thinking,
okay, but how do I actually get started with discourse?
Where do I go from here?
Well, the good news is it's pretty easy to get started.
Their website has a really comprehensive installation guide
that walks you through the entire process.
Oh, okay.
So there's documentation to guide you.
Yeah.
Very clear documentation.
What if you're not, you know, a super technical person?
Right.
Is it still accessible?
Yeah.
It's very user-friendly.
You don't need to be a coding expert or like a server management guru to get
started with
it.
Okay.
So you don't need to be a tech wizard to have a thriving community.
Right.
And they also have a really great community of users.
So if you run into any issues, there's a ton of support out there.
It's good to have that backup.
And there's also managed hosting options.
Oh, okay.
So if you don't want to deal with the technical details yourself, you could just
outsource
that.
Just outsource it.
Yeah.
That's cool.
Yeah.
So you've got built-in support.
You've got the option to outsource it if you need to.
It's all about finding that solution that works best for you.
Right.
Exactly.
You know, my mind's already racing thinking about all the possibilities here.
Yeah.
But before we get too carried away with our discourse dreams, I think it's time to
take
a quick break.
Okay.
We'll be right back with more insights from our deep dive into the world of online
communities.
Welcome back to the deep dive.
And a big thank you again to Safe Server, our sponsor, for supporting this episode.
You can find them at www.dysafeserver.de.
So before the break, we were talking about all the features that make discourse so
user-friendly
and accessible.
But having a good platform is only half the battle, right?
Like how do you actually build a thriving community?
It's not like you just, you know, set it and forget it.
Right.
It's more like building a house.
Like the platform is the foundation, but you still need to furnish it, decorate it,
make
it a place where people actually want to hang out.
Okay.
I love that analogy.
So how do you create that kind of welcoming, engaging atmosphere on discourse?
Like what are the essential ingredients?
Well, one thing that really jumped out at me from the sources was this idea of
fostering
a sense of belonging.
You know, people need to feel like they're part of something bigger, like their
contributions
are valued, their voices are heard.
It's about creating that safe space, right?
Where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas, even if they're maybe a little
bit
controversial.
Exactly.
And that kind of ties back to this idea of civilized discussion.
It's not just about being polite, it's about creating an environment where people
can express
themselves authentically and engage in, you know, respectful debate.
Which can be a real challenge online, let's be honest.
So how do you actually cultivate that kind of atmosphere in a digital space?
Well, it starts with setting clear expectations from the very beginning.
You know, community guidelines should be front and center, easy to understand, and
framed
in a positive way too.
Right, so not, don't be a jerk, but more like, we value respectful communication
and,
you know, we encourage diverse perspectives.
Exactly.
It sets the tone for the community.
But guidelines are only as good as their enforcement, right?
Right.
Because community managers come in.
They're not just moderators, they're kind of like role models, right?
Yeah.
They set the example, they hold people accountable.
But it can't just be a top-down approach, right?
Like, the community itself needs to be involved in shaping the culture.
Right.
It's about empowering those members to take ownership of their space.
Okay, but how does that actually work on a practical level?
Well, for example, Discourse has tools that allow members to flag posts that
violate the
guidelines.
Okay.
So that legislators can review those flags and take appropriate action.
So it's a collaborative process?
Yeah.
It builds trust.
Okay, so we've got clear guidelines, engaged community managers, empowered members.
What's the final piece of the puzzle here?
What makes a Discourse community really thrive?
Content.
A community is only as good as the conversations it sparks.
Makes sense.
Like, a beautiful platform is meaningless if there's nothing interesting being
discussed.
No, community managers need to be strategic about the content they're promoting.
Okay.
You know, what resonates with their audience?
How can they encourage members to share their expertise?
To create a buzz around upcoming discussions?
It's not just about throwing up a forum and hoping for the best.
Exactly.
It's about being proactive.
Okay.
Well, expert, this has been a fantastic deep dive.
I've learned a lot.
Any final words of wisdom for our listeners as they embark on their own Discourse
journey?
Sure.
Just remember, building a community takes time.
Don't expect overnight success.
It's about cultivating relationships, building trust.
It's a marathon, not a sprint.
But the rewards are worth it, right?
Oh, absolutely.
When you create a thriving online community, you're not just building a website.
You're building a network of support, a source of inspiration.
You're building a platform for positive change.
Beautiful.
Well, listeners, I hope this deep dive into Discourse has inspired you to think
differently
about the power of online communities.
And if you're ready to launch your own digital transformation, remember to check
out our
sponsor, SafeServer, at www.safeserver.d.
Until next time, keep diving deep and keep those conversations going.