Starship Asterisk*

When it comes to "online community" and "user-generated content," Teresa Nielsen Hayden jokes that many organizations expect the first to emerge fully formed within two weeks of launch, and the second always boils down to "people will write stuff for free." But a truly organic community takes time and needs a firm hand to guide its growth, much as a garden needs to be tended to prevent overrunning. No matter what your organization's focus might be, the same principles apply.