Every day in online communities around the Web and the world people are coming together, creating together, discussing, and sharing. There are literally hundreds of thousands of stories that community members can and do tell about the impact of community on their lives. Whether a cancer survivor is getting support, or a couple meets, dates, and marries, or simply friends make a podcast together across three states, communities can affect us all.
Over the years, we’ve all had and heard great stories about this power, but we’ve never had a central hub of those amazing stories.
Last night, I soft launched my latest project, Connected by Distance , an attempt to collect and share those stories in one central location. This project will start on the Web, but a collection of the greatest stories will be bound into a book when the time is right. (Publishers, are you reading this?)
I hope to collect hundreds of stories over the coming years, but I need your help!
Please take a minute to share a story (or 10) of your own. Please send the link to your friends who have stories of their own and encourage them to submit. Send the URL to your journalist friends so we can get wider coverage, and thus larger participation.
Hopefully this project takes on a life of its own and helps us all by shining an even bigger spotlight on the amazing power of online community.
I have a feeling I’ll be submitting my own story about this very project in a matter of months.
(Original Photo by Josh Hallett)
