I wouldn’t say that I’ve built a community, but I’ve definitely contributed to and walked amongst several over the years.
The funny thing is that I’m of the internet generation that would use specific forums or even IRC to communicate with members of a community and the shift to using more centralized services is amazing. But, like with anything you have to learn to accept the bad along with the good, which is always a challenge. It’s a lot easier to join in on conversations in any given community, which brings a wider variety of voices, including those that aren’t interested in legitimately growing that community.
For me, I enjoy helping people. I like being a part of a community that wants to make things better and give people any tools they may need to enjoy a common love. Being a positive voice and one that is known to help enable others to be positive voices is such an important cornerstone when it comes to keeping the communities vibrant and fresh. We all know that there are good corners of Reddit and bad corners. Discord follows a similar style. When I engage with a section of these platforms that I am passionate about, my goal is always to try and enjoy a conversation with people that share a passion, and to leave the place a little better than when I found it.
