First, knowledge is best shared within communities. People with something in common talk more than strangers do. Lining Up to Get a Lecture James B. Maas, a professor at Cornell University, teaches a large class. A really large class. With nearly 1,600 students, it is one of the largest lecture classes in any American university, so big that no classroom is large enough to hold it.
Some professors try to squeeze as many facts as possible into their lectures.
For Dr. Maas, the goal is to convey three or four concepts and entice students to seek more through the textbook and computer programs that accompany the course. Creating a successful online community is one of the most sought after and elusive goals in a Web strategy. Companies budget huge sums to perfect online community strategies as they seek to build customer relationships that create loyal consumers. And the stakes are higher because usually the nonprofit's goal is to sell not a product, but a mission. In this context, an online community can be a powerful tool to bring constituents together to share their concern for an issue.