Concept Proposal for a Third Generation Online Community of Practice Platform By R.A. Dalton, MKMP, Master Facilitator Office Phone (870) (Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM U.S. Central Time Zone) eBook Support Website: LinkedIn public profile: This presentation is Copyright 2013 by R.A. Dalton

First Generation Online Community of Practice Platform PHP Style Forums Not a true Community of Practice platform but the first real step in that direction

Second Generation Online Community of Practice Tomoye ECCO One of the first fully featured Community of Practice Platforms

Third Generation Online Community of Practice Platform (Conceptual) Will be based entirely on community member posted video for all aspects of knowledge and experience sharing on the community of practice to include threaded conversations, newsletters, FAQs and BLOGs. Threaded conversations, the core of almost any online community of practice, will be almost entirely video in nature. Little to no text used in most cases. Video will be the only uploadable file type utilized or accepted. Having trouble wrapping your head around this concept? Think YouTube, but with a good deal of taxonomy and structure, as well as threaded video conversations, added.

OK, why not just use YouTube instead? YouTube is just an ever growing pile of video which you must constantly sort through to find what you are looking for. Like Google, a search can turn up hundreds of videos, many of which have very little to nothing to do with what you are trying to find. Videos on YouTube are not in any kind of knowledge or experience context as they would be if they were in a community of practice devoted to a specific practice or function. Every video is public. Some companies, schools and government agencies utilizing an online community of practice platform will want to restrict the video only to members of that community of practice for one reason or another.

What has made this third generation of online community of practice platform possible now? Video recording technology is inexpensive, easy to use, and everywhere! Multi-Terabyte Hard Drives are inexpensive and widely available. Storage space for video files has become cheap!

Why Video only? Video has become the only truly portable uploadable file format between consumer used electronic devices (smart phones, pads, notebooks, PCs, etc). Mobile devices don’t do text well which explains the popularity of online application services such as Twitter. Mobile devices, which generally don’t have fixed keyboards, are visually oriented and don’t do other files formats well such as PowerPoint, Word, Adobe, etc. Having only one uploadable file type to display and store makes platform development and programming work much easier. People can absorb and learn quicker from video. Todays generation of users prefers video to text. Video is so much more personal and spontaneous!

Some Suggested Features for this Third Generation Online Community of Practice Platform Simplified User Profile Real Name User Name address (for verification) Picture (Thumbnail) Password Video introduction/bio Link to LinkedIn for everything else. Video based Blog available to each member. Video based threaded conversations (base conversation and all replies). Video based FAQs. Video based community newsletter. Except for user profile image thumbnail, only video files will be accepted for member upload. Automatic sunsetting of all user submitted content, Can be adjusted by viewing members. Ability to promote a conversation reply to a new conversation thread. Ability to have sub-communities within the overall community. Ability to verify a members address to combat spammers (sends an message with verification link which the member clicks on). Simplified five level security settings Administrator Facilitator Helper Member Guest

Some final comments to those considering how to make this third generation online community of practice platform a reality To make this online community of practice platform design successful a consulting Master Knowledge Management Professional (MKMP) who is also trained as a community of practice Master Facilitator should be an integral part of the design team, or at least an advisor to it. The best Master Facilitator will be one who has created and facilitated a number of different online communities of practice. There is no substitute for this level experience if you want this platform design to be successful! If you intend to make my concept proposal a reality please remember where it came from in the first place.

Author of this concept proposal presentation R.A. Dalton, MKMP, Master Facilitator Office Phone (870) (Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM U.S. Central Time Zone) eBook Support Website: LinkedIn public profile: dalton/46/634/836http:// dalton/46/634/836 Author of the free practical handbook (eBook) “Knowledge Transfer for the Military Leader” which can be downloaded in various digital and eBook reader formats at: