Follow This Project by Ardith Goodwin

The importance of fostering a bridge between the communities that currently exist and that will exist on Google+.

Warning: a bit of idealism and a futile hope in a social media utopia may be peeking through here. I’m not unaware of the sparkly-eyed tone of this post, and I don’t mind being the one to sound like that. And remember, as always, your Google+ experience is yours and yours alone. I’m just starting a discussion.

As the community responds to Google’s suggested user list, we are starting to see users step up to the challenges put forth by other concerned users. While some may have thought the debate was premature or even overblown, we certainly can’t deny that it has spawned a number of noble efforts by these up-and-coming community leaders.

So, this is a community then?

There was an interesting point made by +Youssef Hachhouch in +Christina Trapolino‘s comment thread on the suggested users list. He says that this isn’t a global community, but rather a connected network of communities. Maybe that’s true, maybe it’s just a phrasing issue. Maybe it’s too complex for us to figure out with just our observations (when I say “us” I mean “me”; most of you probably have the mental capacity to actually figure that out). But let’s take that idea — a connected network of communities. There is a central hub. There has to be. No matter what community you think you belong to on Google+ there is always one thing in common: you are on Google+. That’s what we all share. If you’re reading this, you share this with me and all the little blue names you see on your G+ screen.

Fair enough, we’re connected. Get on with it…

So, why not have a group that exists in that hub that will allow new users (or even existing users) to find a connection that will take them to their community or allow them to create their own community?

While +Natalie Villalobos has intimated that, at the current time, there will be no efforts to grow the number of Community Managers on Google’s payroll or “officially” recognize non-Googlers, users like +Ardith Goodwin have decided to put into motion a sort of “Community Manager by Committee”. It is a pretty amazing idea considering that the “vetting” process of these people will be nothing more than seeing them through a simple sign-up process and otherwise placing complete trust in their intentions. +Natalie Villalobos will be proud to see the community take her advice and act as pillars without the need for official recognition. After seeing her support for +Alireza Yavari‘s recommendedusers.com list, she will almost certainly give this her thumbs up (I hope so anyway).

Fantastic! This plan is fool-proof, right?

My cynical side rarely comes out here, but I must let him free so we can combat his fears. My cynical side sees this project falling flat quickly, a flash in the pan and unable to be sustained because of a lack of encouragement and a lack of promotion. How can you really expect people to go out of their way to encourage growth on this platform? What happens when people don’t take advantage of using this project? Will it fade away? Will not seeing any sort of compensation (not necessarily money, but acknowledgement) lead to a lot of discouraged and inactive would-be-do-gooders?

Let’s not let this happen, please. There is an opportunity here that we can’t let pass by — a chance to create a unique experience for a social media platform. Do your best to encourage and support this project by sharing, re-sharing, and contributing ideas. This micro-community of altruistic do-gooders will act as the bridge, or even a system of bridges, that will enable people to get where they want to go on G+.

What do you think? What are some ways we can show our support?