What's the point of creating a great Web site if no one goes there-or worse, if people come but never return? How do some sites, such as America Online, EBay, and GeoCities, develop into Internet communities with loyal followings and regular repeat traffic? How can Web page designers and developers create sites that are vibrant and rewarding?

Amy Jo Kim, author of Community Building on the Web and consultant to some of the most successful Internet communities, is an expert at teaching how to design sites that succeed by making new visitors feel welcome, rewarding member participation, and building a sense of their own history. She discusses important design strategies, interviews influential Web community-builders, and provides the reader with templates and questionnaires to use in building their own communities.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 24 Ratings

What a bunch of fluff! - 2001-03-27
Reviewer Rating:
Read this book only if you want to build a kindler, gentler Web community. The style of the writing of this book was so chummy and "we are just women who want to share nice things and we don't know much about that technical man-stuff." Yuk! If there was any real content to this book, I couldn't find it. I am building a business community on my Web-site but this book focues on social communities. Social communities certainly are valid, but I need something professional, not fluffy. Also, it totally ignored the technical tools I need to build the discussion boards and chat rooms.

Best book by far for online community building - 2001-06-07
Reviewer Rating:
I'm an independent consultant on interactive technologies and web community building. I've read a number of books and articles giving advice about online communities, and none comes close to matching Amy Jo Kim's. Her book is the most exceptional in integrating human and technical considerations; describing how sites can launch, expand and evolve; giving lots of first-hand examples; and being an easy, fun read. I get the sense from her Naima company site that she's on the leading edge for design and technical approaches.

I'm personally working now with communities for performing artists and software developers. This book is the only one I'm willing to carry with me on all my customer consulting visits.

An excellent design guide - 2002-01-17
Reviewer Rating:
I believe everyone has a heart - whether in social or business settings - and that most people warms up to sensible "human touches" in a mechanistic environment created with computer-based systems.

Amy Jo Kim's book is a strategy book written with a little humor and a great understanding of what people crave in a community (note "community" and not "transaction") - to belong, to interact and to be empowered. She gives many practical tips on how to attract and engage people in cyberspace.

At no time did Ms Kim give the impression that this book is supposed to be a step-by-step instructional manual.

Excellent - 2003-05-12
Reviewer Rating:
I thought this was an excellent book. Even though technologies change the concepts presented in this book are timeless.

Extremely helpful -- shame it's out of print - 2005-11-28
Reviewer Rating:
I borrowed this from my local library and found it so helpful that I hunted down a used copy. It's not a technical reference, but it provides a great overview of the elements of online community, with authentic examples from existing communities (some of which, sadly, are now gone, but this was written before the bubble burst). Highly recommended if you are responsible for developing and supporting an online community, or if you are just interested in how thinking in online communities has been developing in the early days.

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E-Commerce
Human-Computer Interaction
Internet/Online

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E-Commerce > Marketing and Strategy
Human-Computer Interaction > Online Communities
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