Where Did Community Go?

One of the things that attracted me to blogging was the community. Ten years ago, commenting communities were HUGE on the blogs I would visit.

I remember voraciously reading thoughts from Dan Miller, Michael Hyatt, Jon HarrisonChris Lautsbaugh, Alex Barker, and many others. Their ideas would percolate in my mind and I would begin to think out my own thoughts on their latest topic.

fiver people running on the field near trees

Photo by Jed Villejo

I felt like I was getting a peek inside of their minds. Then, as a bonus, I could comment on their work. I could share the thoughts they inspired and have a conversation with them.

It was a great time to be online and connecting with people. It was the thing I loved most about blogs. The connection and feeling of community.

Times Change

In recent years, the online community has changed. I was reminded of this recently when I was looking for something from Alex.

I went to one of his websites.  I found an article from 6 years ago talking about his project, The Leadership Dojo.

Looking at the article, I noticed there was something you don’t see a lot of today. There were comments. And not just one or two. His website had a community of people commenting and interacting with one another.

Image showing Alex Barker and 17 comments

If you look at many recent blog articles, you will not see 17 comments between the author and the reader. Rather, you’ll see a big goose egg.

People have left the community of blog comments. They’re not finding the connection they once did there. Instead, times have changed. People are finding online communities in other places.

Honestly, I miss the days of reading blog comments and interacting with others in this manner. But, comment sections aren’t where people are spending their time. They’ve shifted their focus and found their community elsewhere.

Where Did Your Community Go?

You may be standing around wondering where your community went. You may be lost for words and lonely because you feel like you’ve been left behind by your community.

Don’t fret. Your community just shifted. It’s up to you to discover where they went.

For the online blog commenting world, the community shifted to different online worlds. You can find communities on:

  • Discord
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitch
  • YouTube
  • And other places

The community has shifted. You have to shift as well.

Where’s Your Community?

I’m not giving up on the comment section on this website. I’ll keep it around for those who still want to interact in that way. It is the way I enjoy interacting, after all.

Yet I know communities change and shift over time. It happens. It happens online and it happens in person. And that’s okay.

The thing you have to discover is: Where is your community? Do you even have a community? If you don’t have a community, what can you do to build one?

This isn’t specific to your online community. You also have to pay attention to your in-person community. This means your friendships, your family relationships, and your acquaintances.

Make sure you’re seeking out a community. Look for people who are like you and share similar beliefs. Find people who will have your back in troubling times.

That is what community is all about. It doesn’t matter if it’s online or in-person. Community matters and you have to find yours.

Question: Have you noticed where you find your community has shifted? Where is your community now? Let’s talk about this in the comment section below.

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Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.