I really appreciated the distinction between participation and visibility. A community can be thoughtfully designed and still miss people if it recognizes only one way of belonging. Your idea of parallel front doors is a useful way of thinking about how structure can widen participation rather than simply organize it.
Kamille, I really like the way you put this. I think we often design for the kinds of participation we can easily see and measure, and then assume the people who aren't participating that way aren't engaged.
I've learned over the years that people can get a tremendous amount of value from a community without ever posting, attending an event, or doing the things we've decided "engagement" looks like. Giving people multiple ways in makes room for that, while still keeping everyone part of the same community.
Thanks for reading and for adding your perspective!
I really appreciated the distinction between participation and visibility. A community can be thoughtfully designed and still miss people if it recognizes only one way of belonging. Your idea of parallel front doors is a useful way of thinking about how structure can widen participation rather than simply organize it.
Kamille, I really like the way you put this. I think we often design for the kinds of participation we can easily see and measure, and then assume the people who aren't participating that way aren't engaged.
I've learned over the years that people can get a tremendous amount of value from a community without ever posting, attending an event, or doing the things we've decided "engagement" looks like. Giving people multiple ways in makes room for that, while still keeping everyone part of the same community.
Thanks for reading and for adding your perspective!