If you want to attract new and diverse members and ideas, you should choose a public community. Creative groups sharing techniques and work Issues to Consider You probably have a pretty good idea why you want to build a community and what sorts of visitors you have in mind. If you think about it, you can probably figure out what types of people would be most likely to visit, where they're likely to be located, and what kinds of equipment and internet connection they'll have. These are crucial issues to keep in mind as you decide what types of tools will work best to help your community members connect. Another decision you'll need to make is whether your community will be public or private.
Private communities are safer from disruptive individuals who can make life difficult for everyone.
They're good places for business workgroups, for illness-support groups, and for families, as well as groups discussing sensitive or private subjects. Public communities generally have more potenti al for growth and diversity. Tools and Their Roles Community-building tools include email, newsgroups, chat, message boards. Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of tool. There is one central address to which everyone sends messages for the group, and from there the email is sent out to all subscribers.