OK, consider this the bait 'n' switch page. We couldn't easily provide you with an instant online community, but we'll do the next best thing.

How about joining ours?

The Upper Room is the online community of the Archdiocese of Denver. Its mission is to foster conversation and action that brings the Gospel of Jesus Christ into the world. To register, visit The Upper Room, and click on the "Register" link in the upper right corner.

Here's a special invitation for you. One of the initial forums in The Upper Room is specifically for you parish web developers. It's called -- appropriately -- "Parish Web Development." If you have questions about the information on this site or suggestions on how it can improve, please post them!!

1. Online Community Defined
2. Introducing The Upper Room
3. Want one of your own?

Online Community defined

If you've ever signed up for an e-mail list, posted a message on a discussion board or entered an Internet chat room, you're at least partially familiar with the concept of an online community.

Howard Rheingold, one of the Net's colorful pioneers, describes these communities as:

"social aggregations that emerge from the [Internet] when enough people carry on those public discussions long enough, with sufficient human feeling, to form webs of personal relationships in cyberspace." (The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier. New York: Addison-Wesley, 1993)

An online community can take on different forms. One of the most basic is the e-mail list. A service such as LISTSERV invites people to set up a network where they can e-mail the entire group or individuals within the group easily. That kind of interaction over an extended period can begin to form real relationships among people and may serve to accomplish tasks.

If your parish wished to create such a list, you could register list with a list service, post a link from your site, and start collecting your community members.

But sometimes a sense of "place" can make a community flower in a more concentrated environment. Communities centered around discussion boards can provide a sense of "place" in a the virtual space.

Introducing The Upper Room

The Upper Room, launched in April 2001, is quickly becoming a popular gathering place for Colorado Catholics and others. People from throughout the United States, and from as far away as Australia, are coming together to talk about issues of faith -- with the events of northern Colorado as a backdrop.

The community was launched with five "forums." They were a "Welcome New Members" area, "In the News," "What Does the Church Teach About ...?" "Parish Web Development," and finally, a private discussion area for the "Archdiocesan Pastoral Council." A week later, the "Youth and Young Adult Coffeehouse" was opened.

Today, the community is blossoming with conversation. Participants post replies within topic areas, and they can also begin their own new topics. "Smilies" allow members to add some emotion to their posts.

Members are strongly encouraged to use their real names when they register for the community. They're also required to read a list of etiquette standards and disclaimers before joining in the conversation.

One of the most useful features in the community is the ability to post web links to any document on the web. For example, someone may post a message about a news story that inaccurately portrayed Church teaching. A link to a column by the Archbishop might clarify the situation.

New members are encouraged to introduce themselves in the "Welcome New Members" forum, where they'll also find a topic on "Questions and Suggestions about this Community."

Want One of Your Own?

If your parish web site receives a high amount of traffic, you may want to consult your site host about launching your own community. HOWEVER, don't expect an "online community" to sprout and flower without a lot of nurturing. It may be a good idea to create a culture of communication first with a tool such as a newsletter, and graduate to a full-fledged discussion board.

Why? Nothing says "dead site" more than a discussion board in which the last post was two months ago.

It pays to participate in and observe other online communities before launching one anew. You may want to spend a couple months in The Upper Room to find out if this is a feature your parish cares to grow and manage.

If you do want to start your own, there's no shortage of software available to you. But first, you should think about what you're trying to accomplish. Amy Jo Kim, who has carved out a niche as an online community guru, suggests these steps:

1. Define the purpose of the community
2. Create distinct gathering places
3. Create member profiles that evolve over time
4. Promote effective leadership
5. Define a clear-yet-flexible code of conduct
6. Organize and promote cyclic events
7. Provide a range of roles that couple power with responsibility
8. Facilitate member-created subgroups
9. Integrate the online environment with the "real" world

When you're at the point of choosing software, you have some big decisions to make:

1. What type of software will your server support?
2. Will you provide linear or threaded discussion areas?
3. What kind of posts will be permitted? What's off-limits?
4. Will you allow links to other web sites?
5. Who will be allowed to delete other members' posts?
6. Will your community observe certain holidays?
7. Are there community "rituals," such as welcoming new members or observing birthdays and/or feast days?
8. Will you require your community members to be parishioners, or do you want a community that opens up to the world?
9. Are private discussions included?
10. Who will moderate discussions and how can you find reliable people for the task?

This resource page gives you plenty of things to think about before launching an online community. Be sure to look at them before undertaking an online community of your own.

One issue that you immediately face if you have an online community is the privacy issue. Keep going forward for a sample privacy statements and some words on why you care about such things. Or join us in The Upper Room!

©Gregory L. Kail/Archdiocese of Denver, 2001 303.715.3123