Why colleges and educators should build their own online communities - ROB WENGER, eCampus News

Over the past decade, many college administrators (and other related campus groups) have relied on LinkedIn groups to build community among their peers, professors, student groups and more. Today there are hundreds of these groups among LinkedIn’s 400 million users, but with Microsoft’s acquisition of LinkedIn this past spring, the signs are here: LinkedIn’s focus will no longer be on helping their communities to thrive. College administrators can, and should, look to build their own online communities now that the technology makes it easy and the benefits of owning a community are many. But they should learn from the mistakes of LinkedIn and do it right the first time to create a thriving, active and engaged community. Here are the seven most important things colleges and other academic institutions should keep in mind when launching their online communities. http://www.ecampusnews.com/ed-tech-leadership/build-online-communities/