Hosting Web Communities: Building Relationships, Increasing Customer Loyalty, and Maintaining a Competitive Edge

Figallo appears to be providing his own model for web community success, which is built on building meaningful relationships... between "you" (the site owner/designer/manager/maintainer) and the people who visit your site, as well as between the site visitors themselves. "Meaningful relationships, far more than size, determine the success of online communities." He provides a lot of practical advice, and it's an easy read. My only complaint is that his WELL experience seems to have biased him toward WELL-like communities...he focuses mostly on the social, relationship-building aspects of web forums, chat and the like, as if everyone looking to build a web community should be striving to create a Salon/Cafe type place.

Cliff writes an excellent book for those who are truly looking to build and Host (yes, Host is the correct term as in being the Host of a party!) an online community. This book takes you through all of the scenarios of building, growing and managing an online community. This is not a technical book about building the backend of community systems - it is a book on the human/social side of online communities. Congrats to Mr. Figallo on writing a book dedicated to the subject.

This is a good history book for those who feel a need to read up on the roots of Internet communities as we know them. The author was head of The WELL.For those who need practical advice on how to create an online community today, the book by Amy Jo Kim is more useful.

A must read book for planning, developing, and maintaining a Web community. Cliff Figallo has a vast experience on this area and it shows his expertise in a easy to read book with rich and useful content.

Truely a must have book if you are planning to build an online community. Gives inside tips learned from experience. Thanks for the great work.Thomas Woska