The Basics of Online Culture & Community
(especially for those who work with volunteers)

 
Online culture still exists, primarily, via the written word. Yes, people are using audio and video, recorded or live, more and more to interact, or highly-advanced platforms like SecondLife, but even when such is used, text-based communication still plays a fundamental role in online interactions.

Learning to communicate primarily via written text can be a challenge for volunteer and manager alike, even when supplemented by audio, video and avatars. In fact, challenges in communicating via written text is a problem far harder to overcome for many people than using technology itself.

You will experience a wide variety of communicators as you work with others online (including < AHREF="../volunteer/ovmyths.html">online volunteers):

• Some write e-mails and instant messages exactly as they talk, using punctuation and "smileys" to show emotion or expression, just as they use lots of facial expressions.

• Some write formally, per the standards of a printed business letter.

• Some write using online jargon that may be common among their peer group but rare outside of such (like writing "LOL", which stands for "Laugh Out Loud", in response to a comment they think is funny)
• Some write short and to the point.

• Some write long, detailed paragraphs, even when instant messaging.

• Some write often.

• Some interpret silence as approval, others as disapproval.

• Some will e-mail you and then call, as they aren't absolutely certain of technology and need the approving voice.

• On online discussion groups, some will post frequently, some will post occasionally, and many will just "lurk" and never post at all, or send questions or comments directly to you instead.

• Some may misinterpret intent or tone based only on the way a message is written, not what the message actually says. This is true particularly of those who are new to the Internet or don't use e-mail or online discussion groups frequently.
  (For instance, one-word answers to questions may be interpreted as "snippy." Other people interpret questions themselves as "attacks", or signs that the person asking the questions does not like them or trust them; more on this at handling online criticism).

• Some write messages littered with punctuation, spelling and sentence structure errors, but are very articulate on the telephone and quite respected in their professional field.

• Some are not completely aware of all of the functions on their e-mail software (setting line length, type size, having a signature, setting the default to reply to the sender rather than everyone, etc.)

• Some "documenters" and some "snippers": Some feel it is necessary to keep the full reply even if it is the 6th message passed. Others like to respond in a concise manner, so much so that it can be hard to figure out what they are responding or referring to (this may not be a culture difference, as much as a difference in e-mail systems or the person's technical know how).

Working Together Online also noted "Never make assumptions about what you are reading. Learn to move slowly in what feels like a very fast medium."

One person who involves volunteers online said, "A few times when I 'etalked' with people for years as if they were undergrads, then found out they were department heads!!!"

The same has been true for me, only in reverse: A few times I have corresponded with an online volunteer for several weeks as if that person was a working professional, because of the tone of the person's e-mails and the quality of work. Later, I've realized, upon reviewing the original volunteer application, that the person is actually 14 or 15 years old!

Written online exchanges can't tell you everything about a person, and can even be unintentionally misleading. Also, working with volunteers online, even those you have met face-to-face at some point, means you are unable to visually read a person's facial or voice "cues" about how they are feeling, their enthusiasm (or lack their of), etc.

Brenda Ruth, then of the Boulder Community Network had a lot of experience working with online volunteers, and said,

"There are very distinct personalities behind the words and it is easy to get in the mode of seeing e-mail as a long to-do list, rather than human interaction.

"E-mail opens up lots of opportunities for people who aren't comfortable in face-to-face communication. I find that people are OK about saying, 'no,' more so than if I called or was in person. Falling back on my communication studies in college, this makes sense because so many 'yes' answers are prompted by how the request was made in voice tone, physical proximity and inclusion of touch.

"The most successful projects are when I have declared expectations of what I expect when, and the volunteer can agree to it, or not and turn it down, or modify. I also find this when working with organizations, that people who aren't direct in physical meetings are so by e-mail.

"There is also the documentation factor that is available on e-mail and not in physical contact. Knowing that people can relook at what is said, or save what was said I think changes interaction online. One can't fall back on the classic, 'I called and left several messages last week...' You have proof that you did or did not send or receive them. For me personally, I will double check facts before I write something I am only a little bit familiar with. Whereas in speaking I wouldn't hesitate to make an educated guess."

"People interpret written words based on their experiences, culture and education. Some people are very literal, good readers and very good listeners. Other people need the same information repeated several times before they assimilate everything. These people need to be led through tasks step-by-step.

"Online volunteers may come from a variety of cultures and my everyday terms can mean something totally different to them. For instance, in Australia a 'downy' is what we call a comforter or bed cover in the US. I can usually tell when there is a cultural difference by the physical structure of the written grammar. I've learned to watch for these types of indicators.

"Some people probably remember doing an exercise in school where one person stands at a chalkboard and the class gives verbal instructions to guide them through drawing a shape. The person at the chalkboard has not seen the shape. Usually, the result is a very different from the intended shape.

"The most important instructional writing guideline is 'don't assume'. Most of us tend to forget to start at the beginning and include absolutely every step. A good experiment is to try writing yourself instructions for a task. Then, follow your instructions exactly as they are written.

"My policy is to write e-mail in the same manner I would write a recipe or instruction manual. I try to be clear, concise and present my thoughts step by step. The language I use is simple. I avoid technical terms and e-mail abbreviations and sniglets, unless I've worked with the person enough to know they will understand my references. "

 
Learning to communicate with volunteers primarily via written text is an ongoing process, and electronic communication isn't for everyone. John Bergeron, then of the Glaucoma Research Foundation, added,

"It's very hard to teach good e-mail etiquette. Those who use e-mail frequently tend to be much easier to communicate with online. (In my experience,) sometimes it's necessary to tolerate poor e-mail skills and supplement them with phone conversations. I have a lot to learn still about making effective online partnerships!

 
Start Learning How to Communication Online:
Join an Online Discussion Group
A great way to learn about the nuances of communicating with people online is to become a part of an online discussion group.

Start by joining an online group that discusses something that is highly interesting to you, personally or professionally, something that you love learning about or talking about or reading about offline. This can be for a particular hobby, your favorite author, a sports team you follow, even a political issue. As you are already highly motivated by the topic, you should find yourself looking forward to reading the group often.

You can also join a group for volunteer managers, though look for more than one, as they vary greatly in terms of tone and focus. If you work with young people, you might consider joining a discussion group of a TV show that's popular with teens, and observe how the youth interact with each other.

As you observe (or "lurk") on these groups, notice the variety of ways people relate to each other via written communications, the differences in communication styles among people of different age groups, how the "culture" of each group is unique, how someone may get upset about a message that he or she interpreted as "hostile" but that looked quite benign to you, and so forth. Look for ways that people make their e-mails as appealing as possible -- the way the introduce a topic, the way the sign their e-mails, the way they respond to others, and so forth. If you feel comfortable, you might want to post a message yourself and actively participate.

There is no better way to learn about online culture and how to communicate with others effectively via the written word than by observing online discussion groups!

For discussion groups relating to your profession, start by contacting a professional association related to your career, to see if they have an online forum. Also see Why Every Staff Person Should Regularly Read At Least One Online Discussion Group, which lists ways to find an online forum related to your work.

Another resource that may help you to learn more about effective online communications may be the Virtual Volunteering Project's suggestions for accommodations for online volunteers who have learning disabilities or emotional and anxiety disorders. Most of these suggestions are fundamental to the successful management of ANY person via e-mail and the Web. This information also will help you address the various learning styles and working styles of online volunteers. These are part of the Project's suggestions for Working via the Internet with volunteers who have disabilities.

You may also want to refer your online volunteers (and all staff, actually) to these online Netiquette guides:

Netiquette Guidelines
Includes an excellent bibliography for more information as well. By Sally Hambridge of Intel Corporation.

Netiquette
By Virginia Shea, published by Albion Books. This online edition contains all the text and graphics from the bound book.

Open Directory's Netiquette Links

• Handling Online Criticism
  Online criticism of a nonprofit organization, even by its own supporters, is inevitable. It may be about an organization's new logo or new mission statement, the lack of parking, or that the volunteer orientation being too long. It may be substantial questions regarding an organization's business practices and perceived lack of transparency. How a nonprofit organization handles online criticism speaks volumes about that organization, for weeks, months, and maybe even years to come. There's no way to avoid it, but there are ways to address criticism that can help an organization to be perceived as even more trustworthy and worth supporting.

• Research and other articles
  A compilation of publicly-available research and evaluation reports regarding online volunteering, online activists, online civic engagement, online civil society, and online mentoring (not PR pieces but, rather, reviews and research that more than mention these subjects); AND a list of various research documents and articles relating to telecommuting, virtual teams and Internet culture.

 
Return to my list of resources relating to online culture & communities of volunteers

 
Return to my volunteer-related resources

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