FAQ+-+When+weaving+networks,+what+needs+to+be+done+in-person+and+what+can+be+done+online?

//By Beth Kanter.//

Designing the right blend of online and in-person interaction in networks is not an exact science, it is more of an art form. The right mix depends on the purpose of the network, the actual work that people in the network are doing and plan to do together, how well people in the network already know or trust one another, and network members' comfort levels with online tools.

It is important to think not only about tools but about what types of human interaction and range of activities are needed to accomplish your goals. This task is best done by what Nancy White calls "technology stewards" — people or groups who are responsible for making sure that the network is using online technology to learn, coordinate, connect, or share information together. This person or group must have enough experience with the inner workings of a network to understand its technology needs and enough experience in technology to take leadership in addressing those needs.

You’ll need a good understanding of what the network will do together. //What are the typical pattern of activities and connections through which members experience being a network? Is this a learning network or an action network?// The actual work together provides a framework for selecting the right tools. You’ll want to pinpoint how the network will do its work: meetings, open-ended conversations, shared content, co-creation of content, projects, access to expertise, and emergence/relationship building. It is also important to consider whether the network needs to be open or closed or somewhere in between. All of these considerations are important not only for selecting tools but for figuring out the right blend of online and offline activities.

A technology steward can carefully and slowly introduce and model the use of social media tools in simple and transparent ways that help move the purpose of the network forward and allow for new people to discover and participate in the network. One option is to mix interacting with online tools or have "back channel" with a face-to-face event so they are taking place at the same time. An easy way to do this is to establish a Twitter "hashtag" and use it to "live tweet" the meeting, taking breaks to integrate the conversation on Twitter into the face-to-face session.

Some questions to consider around blending online and face-to-face interactions:
 * // What is the purpose of the network? Does it need to be private and closed or should it be open and transparent? //
 * // How well do people in the network know and trust one another? Is a face-to-face meeting necessarily to set the climate for trust and sharing? //
 * // Can network members easily and inexpensively meet? //
 * // What is the actual work that members of the network will do together? What can done online? What needs to happen face-to-face? //
 * // What is the technology comfort level of the group? //
 * // What are some useful ways to embed the online technologies into face-to-face meetings? //