Thoughts on the Ambassador Program
Hi everyone! I’m so excited to be posting my first blog entry!
I just read through the details of the Ambassador Program that WA began in 2015. And I must say, I think it is just absolutely awesome! A lot of forums will have "point" systems - or even just post counts. Most of the time they have zero benefit to the member (and no incentive to get those points/stars/post counts) ... but I for one, still have always loved that element of any online community. It just feels good to see progress!
This Ambassador Program takes it to a whole new level, though. It's incredibly genius, too - as it actively encourages users to contribute (thereby keeping the forum alive and healthy!) What better way to grow a fabulous community than by rewarding users for helping other people out (ie: relevant, helpful information being posted at a rapid, incentive-induced pace)!
Not only that, but as a whole, the community (as others have said) benefits from it. I've found that in almost any setting, among any group of people, within any medium, if I have a question, I can be almost 100% guaranteed to find that others have had the same question lingering in their minds - and when I ask the question, it honestly never ceases to amaze me - the appreciation others' will oftentimes show for the question having been asked. Who would have thought I wasn't alone? :)
Of course there are always different scenarios for different people; as someone commented within the Ambassador Post comments, "they just don't have the time to actively participate as much as they'd like to..." And others might just be uncomfortable in a forum setting. For those people, I wouldn't look at it as anything negative - just consider it an overall improvement to an already amazing group of people that benefits each and every one of us. Even if people aren't able to invest as much time or action as they'd like - and even if the result of that is the incentives not being something within their reach (at least at that time), users aren't looked poorly on or treated badly if they're not in the top "whatever"!
I've been highly active on a handful of forums in the past and it has always been rewarding! Other times I've been a member of communities where I felt extremely intimidated and far too shy to speak out or ask questions. When you're dealing with hundreds of thousands of personalities, not everyone will have the same opinions, availability, etc - obviously. So that solidifies my being truly blown away by the "family" feel of WA. With so many active members, that's such an amazing feat! I can't tell you all how much I appreciate the instant warm welcome I received upon joining .... and I look forward to becoming a very active, long term part of this community for as long as you'll have me! :)
Debs
Recent Comments
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Thanks guys! Just the fact that you took the time to comment here proves how awesome this place is! :) I genuinely appreciate it!
Hi Debs, I was also blown away by this feature from the first day I got here less then 2 months ago. I am actually a very shy individual, often choosing to stay in the background, but WA has been different. I have found it very easy to comment on other peoples post and offer help when I think I can. I have felt very welcomed and the encouragement has been tremendous. I wish you all the best as you navigate this community and begin to build your website. Great first Blog!