Sean “Diddy” Combs is working on a new album, which I’m excited about. He recently posted some studio footage. The brief clip has a few seconds of a song, which Combs stops and then remarks:

“We’re making a feeling, people. Not a record. A feeling.”

They aren’t just creating an album or a sound or a song. They’re creating a feeling.

That’s how I look at online community. I don’t just want to create a website or a meetup or a group. I want to create a feeling. When I think about community, the first thing that flashes to mind isn’t software or numbers. I think about people. I think about feeling. How do I want people to feel when they visit this community?

There are all sorts of answers to that question. I want people to feel like they can say whatever is on their mind. I want people to feel like they are respected and included. I want people to feel comfortable enough to ask a question. I want people to feel like they are among friends. These are all acceptable answers (among numerous others).

Your decisions, policies and management style should be influenced by how you want people to feel.