Jeremy Zawodny makes an interesting post (quoting from a guest poster on Om Malik’s site) about the concept of community online, and how it may conflict with corporate aims. It’s a fascinating discussion, because it’s obvious that some of the most thriving online entities are doing so because of a community spirit. How does a corporation foster this, and still make money, rather than kill it?
Zawodny also mentions how his views on community sometimes differ from that of his employer, Yahoo!. Interesting insight into how a blogger reconciles disagreeing with his employer in public.
An excerpt:
I’ve got one foot inside the company and the other firmly planted in the community. The two are often at odds and, more often than not, I side with the community.
This makes some people at Yahoo very unhappy, but I really believe that it’s in the best interest of Yahoo. I’m not doing it just to be a pain in the ass. Some people are really good at running a business. I like to think that I do a decent job of representing community interests when I try to do so. And making sure the community is heard loud and clear inside the company walls helps keep us honest. That’s why I say many of the things you read here.