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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · 6d

This is the kind of role most community leaders dream about and almost never see. @mozilla.org's not just sprinkling “community” on top of marketing or dev rel... they’re making it part of the organization’s power structure. That’s huge. #CommunityManager
www.linkedin.com/pulse/seat-t...

A Seat at the Table: Mozilla Hires Its First VP of Community

This is one of the strongest community executive roles I’ve seen. It’s squarely focused on real community stewardship at scale, not a marketing grab bag.

www.linkedin.com

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · 22d

Community Manager Live is coming back. Now as a podcast featuring deep-dive interviews with community pros at all levels. If you want to share your story, let's connect!
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdhFCZm0AxdMi3Vep5z1BJIPwhMY8PJg3xh351my9VF-dpoaA/viewform #cmgr #communitymanager

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Sep 3

Great new postcast from @alixdunn.com with @mmasnick.bsky.social talking about decentralization and then into early days of internet with "The Eternal September" in 1993.

cmgr.live/an-incomplet...

An Incomplete History of Online Communities

Visit the post for more.

cmgr.live

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Aug 26

Has some overlapping skillsets? Yes....
Same Job? No...

#communitymanagement
#communitymanager
#socialmedia
#socialmedia"text-blue-600 dark:text-sky-400">#socialmediamanagement
#cmgr

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Aug 25

Vanity metrics are ROE - Return on Ego... they look shiny but don't prove real value. True health comes from members who stick around, solve problems, cut costs, and drive impact. That's the shift from applause to outcomes.

Return on Ego vs. Return on Investment: Why Vanity Metrics Lie to You

Vanity metrics will pat you on the back, but they won’t keep your community alive. The real question isn’t how big your numbers look, but how deeply your people engage and how much value they bring…

cmgr.live

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Aug 15

New study from Reddit & UW: "How Conversational Structure and Style Shape Online Community Experiences." Survey across subreddits finds three Sense of Virtual Community dimensions: Membership & Belonging; Cooperation & Shared Values; Connection & Influence.
#community #cmgr
arxiv.org/pdf/2508.08596

arxiv.org

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Aug 5

I will be at the Free Community Leadership Summit (CLS) at All Things Open on Sunday Oct. 12th. in Raleigh, NC @jonobacon.bsky.social will be the Emcee for this “Unconference” with moderated and facilitated discussions #opensource #cmgr #communitymanagament
2025.allthingsopen.org/community-le...

Community Leadership Summit • All Things Open 2025

About CLS The Community Leadership Summit 2025 brings together community leaders, organizers and managers and the projects and organizations that are interested in growing and empowering a strong comm...

2025.allthingsopen.org

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jul 24

The Ferengi Rules of Community Management
#communitymanagement #communitymanager #cmgr #community

www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

The Ferengi Rules of Community Management | David D.

The Ferengi Rules of Community Management 1. Once you have their attention, never let it wander. 2. The sooner you invite them to participate, the longer they will stay, and the more they will give. ...

www.linkedin.com

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jul 17

[email protected] Have you seen the new thing? Suing in small claims court when Meta bans your account. on the off chance they don't show up and you get a default judgement or they just don't feel like dealing with it and flip the switch. www.reddit.com/r/MetaLawsui...

MetaLawsuits

This sub is for those who are actively suing Meta Platforms (Instagram/Facebook/Horizon/AIMeta) or interested in pursuing filing in small claims in order to retrieve your disabled and/or hacked accoun...

www.reddit.com

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jul 3

Two: An AI must respect human autonomy and privacy, and act transparently so humans are always in control of decisions.

Three: An AI must provide support and information to benefit human understanding, unless doing so conflicts with the first or second laws.

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jul 3

The Three Laws of AI

Zeroth: An AI must not harm humanity as a whole, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm, even if this overrides individual or specific instructions.

One: An AI must always prioritize the well-being and dignity of humans, ensuring it does not cause harm.

Laws of AI

Zeroeth: An AI must not harm humanity as a whole, or, by inaction, allow humanity to come to harm, even if this overrides individual or specific instructions.

One: An AI must always prioritize the well-being and dignity of humans, ensuring it does not cause harm.

Two: An AI must respect human autonomy and privacy, and act transparently so humans are always in control of decisions.

Three: An AI must provide support and information to benefit human understanding, unless doing so conflicts with the first or second laws.

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jun 24

Chatrooms Make Terrible Forums

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jun 17

Building Online #Communities After Crises:
Two Case Studies
api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/api/c...

https://api.drum.lib.umd.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/ef555efe-2e4d-43eb-922b-d4cf88eb7078/content

ABSTRACT Title of Dissertation: BUILDING ONLINE COMMUNITIES AFTER CRISES: TWO CASE STUDIES Melissa Lynne Janoske, Doctor of Philosophy, 2014 Dissertation Directed by: Brooke ...

api.drum.lib.umd.edu

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · May 9

@hyperfixedpod.bsky.social Can I just point out that YouTube, TikTok, et al... are the modern "Novelty Act" venues. YouTube even gives out "medals" (play button plaques)...
www.hyperfixedpod.com/listen/hyper...

HyperFixed | The “World's Greatest” Episode

www.hyperfixedpod.com

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Apr 30

Content moderators from Meta, TikTok, Google & more are uniting globally to demand fair pay, mental health support & better working conditions. It’s time Big Tech takes responsibility for the people behind the screens. @mmasnick.bsky.social #cmgr #trustandsafety
www.theverge.com/news/658566/...

Content moderators are organizing against Big Tech

Workers are fighting for working conditions and mental health support.

www.theverge.com

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Apr 2

Do not automatically attribute Bait content to a bot or AI when the content falls within the scope of human capability.

a man wearing a red white and black hoodie holds up his hand

Alt: a man wearing a red white and black hoodie holds up his hand

media.tenor.com

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Mar 17

I'm not dumb. I just have a command of thoroughly useless knowledge.

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Mar 4

"Jon Hues" Movie Pitch:

A high school senior Mia documents teen life post-pandemic through vlogs. As she navigates friendships and romance with influencer Jake, she organizes a socially distanced prom, highlighting authenticity and connection in a digital world. #SociallyDistancedHearts

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Mar 4

New podcast coming from @mmasnick.bsky.social of @techdirt.bsky.social about the most misunderstood law on online, #Section230. He's got the original authors, critics, and people whose lives were transformed by the very online communities that 230 made possible.
www.techdirt.com/2025/03/03/a...

Announcing Otherwise Objectionable: A Podcast Series About The Most Misunderstood Law On The Internet

At a time when Section 230 faces unprecedented threats from all sides — with both major political parties gunning for it, albeit for opposite reasons — understanding this crucial internet law has n…

www.techdirt.com

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Feb 25

You are very right. It was like that.

I think it will be like cities with urban dynamics. Where they expand and shrink repeatedly as time goes on.

The early internet was community sprawl. Then there was the collapse into larger, collective, single sites with multiple communities.

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Feb 25

"The future of the internet is likely smaller communities, with a focus on curated experiences" - The Verge and Vox Media

I totally agree... collectivemindset.substack.com/i/153637359/...

www.theverge.com/press-room/6...

The Rise of Personalization, Immersion, and Niche Connections

The Future of Online Communities in 2025 - Part 2

collectivemindset.substack.com

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Feb 24

Hey #CommunityManagers and #TrustandSafety Folks. Thought you might want to see this?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nf7X...
#cmgr #community

Facebook & Content Moderation: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

YouTube video by LastWeekTonight

www.youtube.com

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Feb 3

Today successful companies aren't just selling products—they're building communities that transform customers into active participants in their brand's journey.
https://open.substack.com/pub/collectivemindset/p/the-community-revolution-why-building
#collectivemindset #communitymanagement

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David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Feb 3

This month marks the 40th anniversary of The WELL
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_WELL
#cmgr #community #communitymanagement

The WELL - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

David DeWald - Community Management Pioneer & Historian @collective-mindset.com · Jan 29

The Role of Technology in Future Communities: Balancing Innovation with Human Connection open.substack.com/pub/collecti...
#cmgr #communitymanager

The Role of Technology in Future Communities: Balancing Innovation with Human Connection

The Future of Online Communities in 2025 - Part 4

open.substack.com

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