RANK THE ROLES IN THE

COMMUNITY I TERMS OF
SIGNIFICANCE AND EXPLAIN
WHY
 Communities are bigger than social
networks like Facebook. In fact, social
networks are just one type of community,
albeit one of the most recognizable ones on
the web today. Other community types
include user groups, special interest forums
and message boards, chat rooms, and even
"virtual worlds."
• Every community, big or small, relies on five types of roles to be
successful. Communities that have all five working together are the
ones that tend to succeed and become desirable destinations.
• 1.The host: Somebody has to be willing to entertain all these guests.
The host's job is to put on a great event, maintain the peace, and
clean up after the party is over. On top of that, the host has to make
sure everybody is having a good time by keeping your glass full, the
food coming, the music playing, and the entertainment lively. Without
the host you wouldn't have a place to kick back, hang up your coat,
and pass the time. The host's job isn't all fun though. The host has to
be willing to set some rules, enforce them, and (when in doubt) kick
some people out. Perhaps most importantly, the host needs to be
trustworthy. After all, no one wants to attend a sketchy party.
2.The facilitator: They're often confused with the host
because they seem like a do-gooder who wants to ensure
everyone is having a good time. However, the facilitator plays
a different and very important role. The facilitator genuinely
wants to make sure everyone is happy. They have a curious
nature and truly enjoy a good conversation. Without the
facilitator, conversations would grow quiet and stagnant --
people would stop mingling and meeting other people. On
some levels the facilitator is a matchmaker. Their grasp of all
the things taking place in the community is amazing. But,
unlike the voyeur, the facilitator is willing to share that
information with people
3.The popular one: This is the most important person in
the community. Yes, the popular one makes it all about
"me," but they also bring a whole bunch of people with
them. Some people show up to see them. Some people
show up to be able to say they saw them. Some people
show up because they might see them. The popular one
has a tight-knit set of friends and a large group of pseudo-
friends that show up wherever they go. If you don't get the
popular one(s) to show up, you're going to have a tiny,
boring, and listless community.
4.The instigator: Somebody needs to stir the pot. Somebody
needs to be willing to say the things others won't and do the
things that make people shake their head. That's what's great
about the instigator -- they keep things interesting. People
simultaneously love and hate the instigator. They love
watching what comes next, but they hate all the attention
he/she gets. But, here's the thing -- everybody loves
controversy. It's the reason the news outlets exist. If everyday
was 72 degrees and sunny and everybody was happy, no one
would tune in or read the paper. The instigator engages in
conversations just to take the "other" position. They are pure
entertainment.
5.The voyeur: I love the voyeur. They don't cause
problems, usually lend a hand to the host, never overstay
their welcome, and always tell everyone what a GREAT
time they had. In some circles they're known as wallflowers,
but that's not really giving them their due. Wallflowers don't
interact and seldom even show up. The voyeur shows up.
It's that showing up that helps the community out
tremendously. They make an impact even without actively
participating, because they can be counted. The host can
say/claim 500 people showed up, even if 420 of them were
voyeurs. Without the voyeur we'd all be in trouble.