9/24 Reading

Chapter Four of Design to Thrive is constructed in a way so you understand what remuneration, the title of the chapter, is and why it is important. Howard provides a basic definition of this term: “the commonsense observation that individuals remain members of a social network when there is a clear benefit for doing so.” In other words, what makes someone stick to a social networking site or community? What makes them want to come back, rather than abandon the site completely and never return? It’s a simple concept, with complex undertones. According to Howard, it’s the experience.

Remuneration as a user experience. Howard brings up the user experience because remuneration is very much invested in this topic. When comparing the search engine AltaVista to Google, the two engines are extremely different in terms of page functionality. AltaVista had “an excessive range of entry point options” while Google capitalized on the simplicity of one entry point.

Remuneration does not equal functionality or the business model. I thought this was another important section to highlight. The experience doesn’t take into account the millions of coding behind the site itself therefore Howard’s point: “functionality is not a sufficient condition for remuneration.” The user is usually preoccupied with what they are getting out of the site, rather than what goes in to create the site which is why remuneration is such a separate facet when talking about successful (or unsuccessful) websites: it’s all about the user.

Howard provides a useful checklist of twelve techniques in this chapter which go as follows: 1) make the text editor fun; add emoticons, 2) use a subscription application form, 3) mentors teach, 4) seed the discussion, 5) use stars to show membership contribution levels, 6) rank the value of members’ messages, 7) remove the fear factor by providing examples of how to participate, 8) create a safe environment by sending out “tickle” messages, 9) create a regular event, 10) don’t automatically archive, 11) discourage attempts to send conversation to other blogs, Web sites, or discussion groups, 12) ban redistribution servers and cross-posting

The one I identified with the most with was technique number 5 about membership contribution levels. In high school my friends and I create an online forum where we would discuss certain topics like games and movies. (When I say “my friends and I” I really mean I butted into the group as the only girl because I wanted to be a part of the “guys group” that my friends created!) Anyway, we were ranked on contribution levels and I remember posting on everything, all the time, just being the most annoying person ever to catch up to their levels. (Essentially, a "troll"!)