What Would Dr. Seuss
Say About Online Communities?
Dawn Foster
Dir. Developer Relations
Jive Software
dawn@dawnfoster.com
http://FastWonderBlog.com

Play Nice
quot;I'm the Lorax who speaks for
the trees which you seem to
be chopping as fast as you
please.
NOW...thanks to your hacking
my trees to the ground,
there's not enough Truffula
Fruit to go 'round.
Translation:
And my poor Bar-bar-loots
Play Nice: Be polite and
are all getting the crummies
respectful in your because they have gas, and
interactions with other no food in their tummies!quot;
members
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People are Watching You
“My eyes see.
His eyes see.
I see him.
And he sees me.
And so we say, Translation:
“Hooray for eyes!
People see everything
Hooray, hooray, you do in the community.
hooray...
Be a good example of
... for eyes!” the “right” behavior.
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Make it Fun
Why do you sit there like
that?
I know it is wet.
And the sun is not sunny.
But we can have lots of good
fun that is funny!
I know some good games we
could play.
I know some new tricks.
I will show them to you.
Translation: Your mother will not mind at
Have fun! Lighten it up all if I do.
occasionally!
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Meritocracy
But McBean was quite wrong.
I'm quite happy to say
That the Sneeches got really
quite smart on that day,
The day they decided that
Sneetches are Sneeches
And no kind of Sneetch
is the best on the beaches.
Translation:
That day, all the Sneeches
forgot about stars Community members
And whether they had one, rise to the top based on
or not, upon thars. merits and contributions.
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Accepting
quot;Peanuts and pineapples
noses and grapes.
Everything comes in different
shapes.
Translation:
Of all the shapes
Communities and their we MIGHT have been...
members come in all I say,
shapes and sizes.
Accept the existing “HOORAY for the shapes
community without trying we're in!”quot;
to change too much.
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Improve and Evolve
“but if I ran the zoo,”
Said young Gerald McGrew,
“I'd make a few changes.
That's just what I'd do ...”
The lions and tigers and
that kind of stuff
They have up here now are
not quite good enough.
You see things like these in Translation:
just any old zoo. Make incremental
They're awfully old- improvements to the
fashioned. community.
I want something new! Don't let it get stale!
2/5/2008 Dawn@DawnFoster.com 7

Be Flexible
Never budge!
That's my rule.
Never budge
in the least!
Not an inch to the west!
Not an inch to the east!
Translation: I'll stay here, not budging!
I can and I will
Be flexible.
Improvements and ideas If it makes you and me and
come from unexpected the whole world stand still.
places.
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Empowering
“I can not, shall not, will not
Lug this stupid thing around!”
He slammed the tail of Prooie Katz!
He slammed it on the ground.
Translation: And since that day in Katzen-stein,
All cats have been more grown-up.
Delegate responsibilities
to community members. They're all more demo-catic
Let the community help! Because each cat holds his own up.
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Unpredictability
Then comes a Yellow day. And,
Wheeeeeeeeeeee I am a busy,
buzzy bee.
Gray day ... Everything is gray. I
watch. But nothing moves
today.
But when my days are Happy Translation:
pink, it's great to jump and just
You never know what will
not think.
happen.
Then come my Black Days. Every day will be
MAD. and loud. I howl. I growl at different & unpredictable.
every cloud.
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Diversity
One fish two fish red fish blue fish.
Black fish blue fish old fish new fish.
This one has a little star.
This one has a little car.
Say! what a lot of fish there are.
Yes. Some are red.
And some are blue.
Translation: Some are old. And some are new.
Encourage diversity. Some are sad. And some are glad.
Recruit people with new
ideas and different skills. And some are very, very bad.
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Encourage the Unusual
“Won't look like rain.
Won't look like snow.
Won't look like fog.
That's all we know.
We just can't tell you any more.
We've never made oobleck before.”
“We go now to our secret cave Translation:
On Mystic Mountain Neeka-tave.
Encourage the
There, all night long, community to do new
we'll work for you and unusual things.
And you'll have oobleck
when we're through!” They may come up with
something really cool.
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Hidden Talents
Oh, the wonderful things
Mr. Brown can do!
He can go like a cow.
He can go MOO MOO
Mr. Brown can do it.
How about you?
Translation:
Your community
members have hidden
talents. Find out what
they are and encourage
them to use them!
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Absorb
There are so many things
you can learn about. BUT ...
you'll miss the best things
if you keep your eyes shut.
The more that you read,
the more things you will know.
The more that you learn, Translation:
the more places you'll go.
You can learn many
You might learn a way things from your
to earn a few dollars. community members.
Or how to make doughnuts...
or kangaroo collars. Keep your eyes open
and listen!
2/5/2008 Dawn@DawnFoster.com 14

Learn New Skills
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any
direction you choose.
You're on your own.
And you know what you know.
Translation: And YOU are the guy
who'll decide where to go.
Use community
management as an
opportunity to learn new
skills.
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Take a Vacation
“Very well,” said the elephant,
“since you insist.....
You want a vacation.
Go fly off and take it.
I'll sit on your egg
and I'll try not to break it.
Translation:
I'll stay and be faithful.
Take a vacation
I mean what I say.”
occasionally, but find
“Toodle-oo!” sang out Mayzie someone to mind the
and fluttered away. community while you
lounge on the beach.
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Don't Feed the Trolls
“oh-oh!” Sally said.
Don't you talk to that cat.
That cat is a bad one,
That Cat in the Hat.
He plays lots of bad tricks.
Translation: Don't you let him come near.
You know what he did
Don't encourage the The last time he was here.”
trolls. They want
attention. Resist the urge
to give it to them!
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Banning: Last Resort
That Humperdink!
I don't know why,
but somehow
I don't like that guy.
I do not like this one so well.
All he does is yell, yell, yell. Translation:
I will not have this one about.
When he comes in I put him out. Ban spammers.
Only ban community
Marvin K. Mooney! members as a last
I don't care HOW. resort.
Marvin K. Mooney!
Will you please GO NOW!
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Apologies
“I took out of context
and twisted and turned
with crazy hopes that
some thing would be learned
To dear Dr. Seuss,
I owe an apology
your quotes I abused
for the sake of
technology”*
- Dawn Foster
*OK, I'm better at managing
communities than I am at rhyming
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Thank You!
Dawn Foster
dawn@dawnfoster.com
Shameless Self Promotion Box:
Read My Blog Jive is Hiring!!
fastwonderblog.com www.jivesoftware.com/jobs
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