So, let me make something perfectly, crystal clear about my last post, Join Us in the Community BackChannel. Membership in the Community BackChannel is free, now and forever. It's not a business, and our charter specifically states that it will not become a business (see paragraph 11).
There's nothing wrong with creating a business to support online community professionals. Heck, it could be a good business to be in, given the projected growth in community management roles! But that's not what we're about in the Community BackChannel. All of us who founded it have successful careers and we're not giving them up. We like our steady paychecks! :-) There's nothing wrong with startup businesses, either, but they aren't for everybody.
The Community BackChannel is strictly a labor of love. We've formed it because we truly want to be part of a community that exists solely to support the people who are advancing the profession of online community management and development. It seemed obvious that such individuals are the very best candidates in the world for creating a fantastic online community, because they "get community" and know what it takes to create a great one.
All we're trying to do with the Community BackChannel is realize that potential. We've formed the community and now we're ready to stay out of the way as the community itself takes form, finds its voice and direction, and emerges as a vital part of the online community eco-system.
So, no-fee means free. Non-profit means we are not in this to make money and won't ever be. And it means lots of opportunities for leadership roles in the Community BackChannel, because we are counting on our members to make the community successful. No fee also means no spoon-feeding and lots of self-service -- remember, we're not quitting our day jobs.
Now, I can see one place where people might get confused about our no-fee, non-profit declaration: our community is hosted within a community that is a business, The BrainYard Community. We all know there is no such thing as a free lunch, right? The BrainYard Community has agreed to host the Community BackChannel for free and respect our autonomy. The Community BackChannel is not owned by or controlled by The BrainYard, nor is any of the Community BackChannel's content in any way controlled by The BrainYard.
The Community BackChannel gets a full-featured online community site for free, but our members do have to create an account in The BrainYard Community in order to participate in the Community BackChannel. That's the no-free-lunch part. We'll see some ads in our community site and those pay the rent. Most of all, we'll bring active, engaged community professionals into The BrainYard Community because that's where we are hosted, and that's appealing to The BrainYard Community.
It's a win-win, as the Community BackChannel gets a great online home for no fee and The BrainYard gets a jump-start on building a big community of their own by having our members as part of it.
Hope that clears up any confusion. If not, or you have more questions, please let me know in the comments and I'll be happy to explain further.
If all of this appeals to you, please check us out at http://cmtybc.com and if you're as excited about this as we are, apply to join us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @cmtybc. I hope to see you on the journey!
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