There is a difference between setting up a guideline for a site, and having a community guide to introduce users to the content. While a guideline is good, and has basic information and rules, a community guide is much more personal. A community guide introduces the user to the environment, and shows possibilities. The community guide can often be customized in many ways to provide a personal experience, tailored to the content that is relevant to the new user, helping them learn and explore in the most ideal fashion.
Key Takeaways:
- When on-boarding clients into a new piece of software often an interactive guide is better than a set of guidelines.
- A guide can be further enhanced to develop interaction tools like groups and forums.
- This is new territory for software development and there is a great deal possible.
“When you join, you’re taken through a guide that deeply engages you in key areas of the community.”
