Community Manager Live is currently on hiatus. If you enjoy authentic, reflective discussions about community building, please check out the blog below for insights and practical tips on community management.
There is a popular myth about the future… that it waits somewhere on the horizon, a place we can reach if we walk fast enough, work hard enough, innovate brilliantly enough. In this myth, community is often treated as part of that horizon. Something we’ll “get…
Reddit’s subreddits flourish when members are active, collaborative, and united by purpose. This manifesto puts Redditors and meaningful engagement first; replacing rigid rulebooks with flexible, member-led community building. We see subreddit moderation and…
Starting a new online community is a lot like launching a business or hosting a big event: it takes way more work than most people expect, especially in the early days. If you want your community to thrive, you have to be the one putting in the hours, setting the…
The biggest issue is that Discord is basically like trying to build a community in a rushing river – everything just flows by and disappears. If someone shares an amazing resource or has a brilliant discussion on Monday, good luck finding it by Friday! The real…
Remember the last time you walked into a party where you didn’t know anyone? That overwhelming feeling of being lost in a sea of faces? That’s exactly how members feel in large, unsegmented online communities. The Magic of Breaking Things Down Think of…
Let me share some things that transformed my work life – when you’re spending hours connecting with members and coworkers, the right tools make all the difference. Here’s my curated list of game-changers that any community professional would love to…
David DeWald is a pioneering online community professional with over 25 years of experience building, managing, and evolving digital communities of all sizes—some reaching millions of members. Since the late 1990s, he has partnered with diverse organizations and businesses to establish impactful online presences that foster engagement and growth. David is widely respected among his peers for his deep expertise in community strategy, engagement, moderation, and advocacy development. Beyond managing communities, he actively contributes to the industry through thought leadership, including public speaking, and blogging, sharing actionable insights to elevate the practice of community management globally.
