The Observatory #2: What's in it forum me?  
Tags: devrel, community
Published: 2020-03-06 02:34:59

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title: The Observatory #2: What's in it forum me?  
published: true
description: 
tags: devrel, community
cover_image: https://res.cloudinary.com/practicaldev/image/fetch/https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/xbhk8xarz5cpt8fgwvgt.png
---

In this issue, we shout-out DevRel leaders on the move, hear from Orbit CTO about Orbit and Funnel on a podcast, and take a look at some perspectives on forums for community building + some bonus Slack emoji 🥳

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### 🏎️ On the move 
*In each issue, we'll highlight key moves in the DevRel and Community space. Have a tip for us? Drop a note to observatory@orbit.love.* 
* **[Kim Maida](https://twitter.com/KimMaida)** joins **Gatsby** as Head of Developer Relations from Auth0 ([announcement](https://twitter.com/KimMaida/status/1225043010515279872))
* **[Jeremy Meiss](https://twitter.com/IAmJerdog)** joins **CircleCI** as Head of DevRel & Community from Solace ([announcement](https://twitter.com/IAmJerdog/status/1231941979166121984))

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### 🎧 Orbit on the airwaves

Tune in to this podcast for favorite Orbit Model hits, including:
* software is not sold, it's adopted
* funnel is a model for *capturing* value for the company; **Orbit is a model for *creating* value for the _community_**
* the Orbit Model gives us a language for describing the complex experience of community

{% link https://dev.to/slashdatahq/devrel-metrics-orbit-vs-funnel-571h %}

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### 🙊 What's in it forum me? 

In our recent chats with leaders of dev communities, **we've noticed more discussion around transitioning online conversation from realtime tools like Slack to persistent forums like Discourse**. 

Forums offer communities lots of benefits, like nuanced permissions and moderation, badges and progress tracking, and the added benefit of content that's both referencable and SEO-able. 

**We'd love to hear from you about your perspective on forums for building high gravity communities.** 

To start the conversation, here's a comprehensive overview to get everyone on the same page: [Everything You Need To Know About Building Your Online Community Forum](
https://blog.vanillaforums.com/community/community-management-101-everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-building-your-community-from-scratch) (warning: it's a little Vanilla Forums-heavy, but the principles are still instructive). 

But **does forum = community?** Catch up on the discussion in the CMX Facebook group with this question: [Can you share the difference between an online community and online forum?](
https://www.facebook.com/groups/cmxhub/permalink/2842875992402618/)

![Screenshot of the discussion](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/i/78bjwmhybgpbawtha61y.png)

👇 **Discuss below**
* What are some examples of effective developer community building through forums? 
* What are some common forum pitfalls? 

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### Bonus round: Grab these 🔥 custom Orbit icons for your Slack
{% twitter 1232698780509704193 %}

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### 🗞️ Previous editions 
* [The Observatory #1: High Gravity](https://dev.to/orbit/the-observatory-1-high-gravity-4kp2)

**Don't miss the next edition of The Observatory 🔭**
* [Subscribe here](https://orbit.love/subscribe) to get an email for each new edition.
* [Follow Orbit](https://dev.to/orbit) on DEV to see all of our posts.