About a month ago, I published an interview with Bassey Etim of The New York Times and David Williams of CNN. They lead comment moderation at their respective companies. I really enjoyed our conversation and couldn’t help but feel that it would make a wonderful fireside chat-style talk in-person at an event.

Between the 3 of us, we have more than 30 years of moderation experience. Bassey and David deal with a volume of comments that few can fathom. Not just that, but they work in an environment that is highly charged, in a space where people expect to say what is on their mind.

It was fascinating to hear about the moderation philosophy differences at play between CNN and The New York Times. Though each has taken a different path, they have both been successful. I’d love to explore those differences in-person, while drawing from my own deep experience, and have an advanced, high-level conversation about comment moderation.

For a long time, I have been quietly working toward simplifying my life and cutting away most of my commitments. I was juggling so many things that it began to feel stifling. I wanted to do something else, but I couldn’t. Now that I have successfully cleared my plate, I can talk about why I did it.

I wanted to open myself up to tackling my next big work. Whatever that may be. I have some ideas. Most of them involve some form of entrepreneurship. Writing a book, launching a start-up, etc.

But I am also really intrigued by the idea of joining a company. Over the years, I have been contacted about numerous opportunities, but I have always turned them down. I am at a point in my life where I am really hungry for change and a new challenge. I am more open to taking a role at a company than I have ever been before. If you have ever been interested in hiring me, now is a great time to get in touch.

Monetizing Online Forums was released two years ago. The ebook, offered for free thanks to Skimlinks, has now been downloaded over 25,000 times (25,382 to be exact).

My home is about to be hit really hard by Hurricane Arthur, but I didn’t want to let this milestone slip by. I would like to take a moment to thank everyone who has downloaded the book and spread the word about it. In a sea of free ebooks, I am grateful that you gave it a chance.

I would like to thank Alicia Navarro and Joe Stepniewski at Skimlinks for their support, as well as Alicia, Ted Sindzinski and Todd Garland for their outstanding contributions to the work. Without you, the book would have been based on my knowledge alone – and it would have fallen short. I would also like to recognize Barbara Somlai for her outstanding cover design, which I still love to this day.

photo credit: mauitimeweekly

Speaking of helping people, I’d like to take a moment and ask how I can help you? What can I write about? Do you have a challenge that you’d like me to think about? Is there a community management related issue that you’d like me to comment on?

If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. I know that these situations can sometimes be sensitive, so feel free to email me instead. If I write about your situation, I will be happy to keep your name anonymous and any sensitive details private, upon request.

I like writing about matters that directly affect the people who read my work, so please don’t hesitate to ask for input or suggest a topic at any time.

Thank you for reading and for for your support.

Monetizing Online Forums, the ebook that I authored that was published by Skimlinks in July of 2012, has now reached 20,000 downloads.

When I began to work on the ebook (when it was only expected to be 10-20 pages, rather than the 100 it ended up being), I didn’t really have any expectations. I had never written a free ebook and, frankly, I didn’t really want to. Most free ebooks just aren’t particularly valuable.

I don’t write stuff for list generation. I write stuff so people can feel empowered and not need to contact me at all. But Alicia Navarro and Joe Stepniewski of Skimlinks convinced me that I could do what I wanted, and treat it like my second book.

photo credit: marfis75

January 27 will mark 6 years since the launch of ManagingCommunities.com. This year, January 27 is Community Manager Appreciation Day (CMAD). It’s funny how that works out.

I decided that I would mark the 6th birthday of this website today, rather than on CMAD, so as to not take away from those festivities in any way. I plan to publish a CMAD relevant article on Monday since that is also the day I normally publish articles here. The stars are aligned!

6 years is not a period of time that I take lightly. I’ve grown a lot in that time, as a professional, and the community management space has grown a lot, as well. I am grateful for whatever opportunity I had to help that along and I am deeply appreciative of everyone who has supported my writing here and elsewhere.

Thank you to everyone who adds value in the comments, subscribes to this website, shares my work and finds value it in. It means a lot to me.

Patrick

In March, I’ll travel to South by Southwest for the sixth time. From 2008 through 2012, I spoke at the event. 2 book readings, 1 Core Conversation, 1 panel and 1 solo presentation. It’s a great event and I enjoy it. After taking last year off, I’ll be back this year.

One of the big motivators for me going is my brother, Sean, a recent graduate who is pursuing a career in film. He’s excited to go to SXSW Film and I’m excited to spend time with him down there. I have a Gold badge for both Interactive and Film and I look forward to connecting with friends and acquaintances.

I’ll be in town from March 5 through 16 and if you’d like to meet up, I’d love to say hello, talk and look at what you are up to. I plan to attend some panels and take a look at what is on the schedule community wise.

photo credit: artisrams

Hello and thank you for visiting ManagingCommunities.com!

With Hanukkah beginning last night, we are now beginning the winter holidays. Soon enough, we’ll be at the end of the year.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish you a happy holiday season and a happy, healthy and successful 2014.

Here at ManagingCommunities.com, it has been great year of sharing experiences and resources in the field of online community management. It has been a great year for the field, as well, as it continues to grow and mature.

I am thankful for everyone who appreciates my work, whether it be here, in my books, at speaking engagements or elsewhere. I am humbled by the fact that I can help this space and provide value for others and I look forward to continuing to do so in 2014.

Thank you for your kindness and support.

Happy Holidays!

Patrick

On Tuesday, Popular Science announced that they would not allow reader comments on new articles on their website, except on “select articles that lend themselves to vigorous and intelligent discussion.” They will still welcome reader comments via their Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and Pinterest profiles, in addition to email, live chats and more.

Suzanne LaBarre, the online content director for the publication, explained that comments “can be bad for science,” and that comments were having a negative effect on the work Popular Science tries to do. Namely, science. Unfortunately, when commenting on areas of interest that require expertise to understand, many (some would say most) comments are made by people who lack the experience needed to qualify them to offer an informed opinion.

South by Southwest (SXSW) has opened the PanelPicker for the 2014 edition of their conference. It is one part of the selection process through which they decide the content for the event.

I have been fortunate enough to speak five times at SXSW Interactive, the emerging technology and digital focused portion of the conference. In 2014, I’ll be bringing my brother down to the event for the first time. He’s pursuing a career in the film industry, so he’s really excited to attend SXSW Film, which occurs during Interactive.

I’d love to have the opportunity to speak again this year and, to that end, I wanted to ask if you would consider voting for it. The public voting portion of the event, which runs from today through September 6, accounts for 30% of the decision process – 30% also goes to the SXSW staff, with 40% to an advisory board.

You can vote on their website, but let me tell you a little about it.