Messageboards as KnowledgeBases

Enhancing Your On-Line community

Published on July 14, 2004 By joetheblow In Pure Technology

In today's world of computers, calculations, bosses, managers, knowledge workers and leaders what someone might say is how the heck do you keep all that together? (You try really hard using this sticky glue called Community Poop)

There is an answer and it has allot to do with the people that surround you. if anyone has ever stayed on the message board of any site, you find that you learn something at one time or another sooner or later. I have been on the net hard core for about 2 - 3 years now and I have defiantly bee 'saved' a few times by some posters who happened to be around when i was posting or just lurking around.

What I learned by watching messageboards grow and from what I picked up from classes and reading (allot) is that many companies are trending toward a different type of networking called b>knowledge base networks or knowledge base systems. A knowledgebase system can include factual data that is currently being made or historical data collected over time with data or information (there is a difference between data and information, one is raw and the other is built... knowledge is created off of built information) collected over time on related projects or different ones. A knowledgebase would be like a library or a collection of magazines. The Internet could be considered a knowledgebase except the fact that its is not really formatted as one so its more of a database or at most an information network.

Getting to what this blog is about, having a messageboard can be more than just having a place where people can chat. It, quite literally, is a collection of conversations over a period of time and some of it can be very helpfully. of course this depends on the people who use it. if they are just talking about... well crap, then the messageboard will have very little data to mine for. Nevertheless, if you take a look at Sony's Messageboard, which is made of mostly kids, you can still find much information from statement made by the kids or young adults. you can find new trends, ideas, or just likes and dislikes. now Sony knows this, but how far are they carrying it out? Not to far from the looks and user features.

The bottom line is that the messageboard can be helpful to the company or website hosting it as well as the users of the messageboard itself. A site being developed called Vehicle Worlds has this function of using the messageboards as a way of creating a community around the site. Once created that very same community can give information or advise to itself about cars, trucks, vans, utility vehicles, boats, whatever. You might find out how to fix your car here or not to get 'taken for a ride' getting something tuned up.

For a look at what a messageboard can be click the link to another blog post full of links I thought where educational to me. There is also (speaking of knowledgebases) a site called Save This of which it saves links to one place where you can share with others or just for yourself. now imagine a messageboard with an ability to talk about those links, or if you click on the user name, you get a list of links they feel are cool. Now you have a massive collection of information that can be turned into knowledge for you.

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