Learn when to apply familiar designs.

Social Web sites have unique design needs. The design must invite participation and connecting, yet the participants themselves determine the ultimate shape of the site. This session illuminates critical design decisions that help a community thrive. Learn about the building blocks of social software, and which ones are most relevant to your business. Learn how to promote desired behaviors with interface design, and who's doing it right. Learn when to apply familiar designs (such as with logging in or adding a friend) and when to strike out into entirely new territory.

We'll answers questions like:

• What are avatars, and why should you show them?


• When do you let your users be anonymous?


• Blogging, wikis and message boards: what's appropriate for your site?


• Do you need a social network?


• Spam and trolls: how do you keep the neighborhood clean?

We'll discuss why wikitorial failed, why a social network is not what the Washington Post needs, and why Twitter works… for Twitter. From The Well to LinkedIn, we'll examine where community helps you thrive and when it can bite you on the keister.