The Community Roundtable

Empowering global community leaders with research-backed resources, training, and tools.

  • Who we are
    • Our Values
    • Our Team
    • Our Clients
      • Client Success Stories
      • Member Advisory Board
    • Community Leadership Awards
      • Community Leadership Awards 2022
      • Community Leadership Awards 2021
      • TheCR Awards 2020
      • TheCR Awards 2019
      • TheCR Awards 2018
      • TheCR Awards 2017
    • Careers
  • What we do
    • Benchmarking and Audits
      • Community Performance Benchmark
      • Community Readiness Audits
      • Community ROI Calculator
      • The Community Score
    • Models and Frameworks
      • Community Maturity Model™
      • Community Engagement Framework™
      • Community Skills Framework™
      • The Social Executive
    • Research
      • The State of Community Management
        • SOCM 2022
        • SOCM 2021
        • SOCM 2020
      • Community Careers and Compensation
      • The Community Manager Handbook
        • 2022 Edition
        • 2015 Edition
      • The Social Executive
      • Special Reports
    • Training and Events
      • Upcoming Events
      • TheCR Connect
        • TheCR Connect 2022
        • TheCR Connect 2021
      • Community Technology Summit
      • Training
      • Resource Bundles
    • Resources
      • Vendor Resource Center
      • Community FAQs
      • Community Management Podcasts
        • Community Conversations
        • Lessons From The NEW Community Manager Handbook
      • Community Management Jobs
        • Job Board
        • CMGR Profiles
      • Community 101
        • Community Management Glossary
        • Community Management FAQs
      • Case Studies
      • Community Webinars
  • Who we serve
    • Resources for Community Managers
    • Community Program Owners
    • Community Executives
  • TheCR Network
    • Member Login
    • Join TheCR Network
    • Roundtable Call Library
  • TheCR Library
    • Subscriber Login
    • Subscribe to TheCR Library

A (Not So Brief) History of Community Management Resources

August 21, 2017 By Shannon Abram

True story – when my brother was 14 he came into my room and said, “Shannon! Have you ever heard of the band Led Zepplin?!”

It was 1999.

With a completely straight face, I replied, “No! Are they any good?” He then went on to sing their praises (and rightly so, Fool in the Rain is in my top five songs of all time, but that’s another post for another blog…) and recommend highlights from their catalog.

My point is not to embarrass my brother (although that’s always a bonus), but to show that it’s so easy to feel like you’ve discovered the latest thing you love. While it seems like community management is just coming into its own, the reality is there have been passionate online community managers as long as there have been online communities – basically as long as there has been an “online.” (Want a great primer on the history of online communities? Check out Vanessa DiMauro‘s comprehensive deck Back to the Future of Online Community.)

It would be near impossible to mention every single person that has made a significant contribution to the world of community management, so I’m not even going to try that. Instead, let’s take a trip through highlights* from the first 30 years of amazing resources that have helped community professionals around the world. (*I am 100% confident that there are amazing resources that we failed to include on this infographic. Please, do not be offended – take action and submit the resources to our ever-growing list!)

 

Please feel free to share this infographic far and wide – the more community love the better!

Have a milestone resource we missed? Check out our History of Community Management Resources page and see if it’s there. If not – send it to us!

About Shannon Abram

I love dogs, drinks, and the oxford comma. Writing from the great commonwealth of Massachusetts, I almost definitely need a nap.

comments powered by Disqus
Community best practices

Resources for the people who build online communities.

ABOUT US
Our Values
Our Team
Our Clients
Careers

RESOURCES
Vendor Resource Center
Podcasts 
Job Board
Community 101
Case Studies
Webinars
Upcoming Events

PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
Benchmarking and Audits
Models and Frameworks
Research
Training and Events

RESOURCES BY AUDIENCE
Community Managers
Community Program Owners
Community Executives

QUICK LINKS
Blog
Newsletter
About TheCR Network
About TheCR Library
About TheCR Academy

LOGIN
TheCR Network
TheCR Library
TheCR Academy

Contact
Support
Partnership
Inquiries
Subscribe to
Our Newsletter