Community and Miscommunications

Bringing people together online has always been a passion of mine. Given my affinity for photography, it would be amazing to combine the online gathering of people with photography. A community where people discuss various aspects; how can a photo be improved in terms of lighting and composition? Which lens should I buy? Should I go professional or not?

I have always been intrigued by constructive criticism, or in other words, feedback. Telling someone in a positive way how they can improve their photo—both offering constructive advice and highlighting what works well—is something I could never find online. A few years ago, that’s when the idea of Focussion was born.

The downside of feedback is that it quickly leads to miscommunication, which in turn fosters negativity. Especially in a growing community where users can see everything about everyone, negativity tends to arise more easily—negativity about others’ social skills, about photography, about the platform—usually with the aim of attracting attention. Such a person is often called a “troll.” The best solution is to avoid engaging with them, but unfortunately, that often happens.

Over the years, I have learned a few principles that might be useful to you:

• Fewer rules; the more rules there are, the more there is to complain about.
• Clarity; to prevent negativity, it is important to address issues briefly and concisely in an informal manner.
• Never get personal; this can escalate, resulting in even positive users perceiving you as negative.
• One warning; after that, handle the matter via email. Be consistent, treat all users the same.
• Experiment; every community is different. Discuss problems and solutions with both users and colleagues.

In a large and open community, completely eliminating negativity is, I think, impossible—but keeping the atmosphere congenial and pleasant is achievable. Keep trying and, above all, be patient.

I’m curious to know if you have experienced negativity and miscommunication within a community as well. Please share your tips below.

— This post was originally written on the Studio Wolf blog.