Status Updates From How to Handle a Crowd: The ...

Just finished chapter 3. An interesting mention in this chapter was the concept of 'emotional labor' in moderating online communities, where volunteer moderators have to sit on their personal feelings about a situation for the greater good. I can absolutely see burnout in online communities because of the expectation of having to act a certain way as a moderator.

An interesting book so far. The author comes out swinging with the first and second chapters being about politics and race, and the creation of online communities to try and bridge the chasm between members of those communities. I just finished the first chapter, and while political discourse in books has never been my thing, it's still holding my interest. It's a different perspective than I was expecting.

So, in full disclosure, one of my best friends was interviewed for this book, but the premise is super interesting to me anyway. Take any online community you're a part of, and behind the scenes there's one or several moderators working hard to make sure that community not only doesn't implode on itself, but also expands and grows.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tiller Press for providing me an advance copy for review.