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How Data and Teenagers Power the Future of Online Community

Published: Jan. 7, 2019, 5:04 a.m.

In 2018, a common thread across Community Signal conversations was knowing how to clearly communicate the success of community across an organization. It\u2019s fitting that for our first show of 2019, we\u2019re joined by\xa0Tammy Armstrong, someone who is passionate about using data to solve problems.

Tammy and Patrick met on\xa0KarateForums.com\xa0and from her years as a community member and moderator, she learned a valuable lesson (care of Oprah): \u201cWhen we know better, we do better.\u201d This lesson carries throughout the entire episode. When we mature and become more empathetic, we become better community members. When we know more about our community goals and shortcomings, we can use the data at our disposal to do better. When we\u2019re using the internet ourselves, we should be cognizant of the trade offs that we\u2019re making with our data and whether or not it\u2019s worth it.

Tammy also shares several tips and tools [22:30] for those that are just starting to unravel the data behind their online communities, but her greatest (and cheapest?) bit of advice involves understanding the goals and vision for your community. From there, data is just another tool to help you reach your desired outcome [40:36].

Tammy and Patrick also discuss:

The positive impact of teenagers within online communities
Best practices for data visualization
How to start unpacking the wealth of data behind online communities

Our Podcast is Made Possible By\u2026

If you enjoy our show, please know that it\u2019s only possible with the generous support of our sponsor:\xa0Higher Logic.

Big Quotes

On sharing data in an accessible format:\xa0\u201cHonestly, basic charts are really powerful because they\u2019re so well understood, they\u2019re so well used, and it can be tempting to get into this, \u2018I\u2019ve created something nobody\u2019s ever seen before, it\u2019s so novel.\u2019 \u2026 Generally, visualizations are for people other than just the person making them. Your audience is going to work that much harder to understand the message you\u2019re trying to get across, so you\u2019re creating some cognitive burden for them to just read it, let alone take away the point that you\u2019re trying to get across.\u201d \u2013@tammylarmstrong

There\u2019s no such thing as a free (software) lunch:\xa0\u201cWhen you are giving up data, or when you\u2019re getting free software, software companies aren\u2019t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. They\u2019re getting something out of it, and most of the time it\u2019s data. They\u2019re monetizing that in some way, or maybe they\u2019re latching on to your hard drive and leveraging your computing power for Bitcoin or something. There\u2019s something that you\u2019re giving up whether or not you know it, and we really need to be generally more savvy in terms of what that means.\u201d \u2013@tammylarmstrong

On making your data work for you:\xa0\u201cThink about your goals with your community. Your data is a tool and a valuable asset, so if you start with your goal in mind and think about what you want to get out of the community, where do you want to be in five years, and then turn that around and say, \u2018Well, where am I right now?\u2019 Having that guiding point is super helpful because otherwise you can just get lost in all of your data. So, start with the end in mind.\u201d \u2013@tammylarmstrong

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About Tammy Armstrong

Tammy\xa0Armstrong\xa0is passionate about using data to solve problems and make the world a better place. As team leader of customer service analytics at\xa0Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield, she works to improve the customer experience and maximize efficiency. Previously, she worked in independent education fundraising as the director of analytics for\xa0Oregon Episcopal School\xa0in Portland, Oregon.\xa0Tammy\xa0also serves as the treasurer of\xa0Reboot Iowa, a nonprofit startup dedicated to educating adults in computer science.

In their spare time,\xa0Tammy\xa0and her husband Mike record\xa0Bright Lights Big Data, a podcast exploring how local communities work through interviews and discussions on urban planning and analytics.\xa0Tammy\xa0has an MS in Analytics from North Carolina State University, and a BA in Economics from Gettysburg College. She enjoys baking, playing soccer with her husband, and chasing after their toddler daughter and two cats.