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Revisiting the definition of “community”

September 28th, 2006 Posted in Business Strategy

One of the most popular posts on this blog has been the ongoing debate about how to “define community“. Apparently after a year of discussion people are still talking about it. Mohamed has collected a ton of various definitions from a variety of sources.

To be honest, after reading that entire list, I’m still quite pleased with my original definition. Perhaps this is because it’s mine, perhaps it’s because it best represents how I think. Take a look at Hohamed’s list and let me know what which one you can latch onto the easiest. Here’s a refresher for my definition:

A community is a group of people who form relationships over time by interacting regularly around shared experiences, which are of interest to all of them for varying individual reasons.

What do you think? How do you define community?

(And yes, I know I’m rehashing an unanswerable question, but it’s an absolutely fascinating discussion!)


  • Bosko
    My broad definiton of community is the living organisms I interact with in my day to day going ons; not including the internet.
  • I'd say your definition of community is very close to my own unspoken definition of community. While yours sings true to my un-spoken definition, my spoken would have a single modification. That is the word "authentic" before "relationships over time."


    One thing I'd fear about companies who begin to get onto the 'community bandwagon' would be their desire for the quick results giving the whole idea of community a bad name through a lack of authenticity.
  • Anonymous
    Jake,
    I was adding your definition to my list.

    Mohamed Amine Chatti
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