Hello educator and web3 frens,Community is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the web3 space. What does community really mean? This question came up in a podcast I recently participated in with 'ukulele teacher and musician James Hill.During our discussion, he posited an interesting question: "Why do some things look like community, but don't feel like community? And why do some things feel like community, but don't look like community?". The answer to this question has increased in important in web3. As the overall market of crypto value goes down, the emphasis has shifted to community and building.The insights I can offer to define community come to me from the host culture of the land that raised me–Hawaiʻi. The word for community in Hawaiian is kaiāulu. There is an important root in that word, -ulu, to grow. This is the imagery that comes to mind when I think of community.Here are some questions I ask myself when I consider my community. How are our actions as part of this community helping to grow the community? How can future members of the community look back at my actions as it relates to the growth of the community?Without growth, any community you are currently a part of will not exist at a future point in time. If you are interested you can learn more about the concept of ulu from this interview with Kumu Keala Ching.As you read this week's resources I would like you to reflect on the communities that you are a part of, whether they are in web3 or not. How are you contributing to their growth? What actions are you taking that will help those that are joining you perpetuate your mission? My hope is that those of us in the early stages of web3 and the metaverse are making positive contributions to the growth of our communities.Here is a summary of the resources for this week:🎸 Podcast interview with James Hill on his 'ukulele project that invites NFT holders to record with him on his album📚 The best books on the metaverse for your summer reading🤖 Reflections on using AI to write an essay🧒 A web3 social network for kids secures additional funding
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What Makes a Community?: Issue #17 of…
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Hello educator and web3 frens,Community is a word that gets thrown around a lot in the web3 space. What does community really mean? This question came up in a podcast I recently participated in with 'ukulele teacher and musician James Hill.During our discussion, he posited an interesting question: "Why do some things look like community, but don't feel like community? And why do some things feel like community, but don't look like community?". The answer to this question has increased in important in web3. As the overall market of crypto value goes down, the emphasis has shifted to community and building.The insights I can offer to define community come to me from the host culture of the land that raised me–Hawaiʻi. The word for community in Hawaiian is kaiāulu. There is an important root in that word, -ulu, to grow. This is the imagery that comes to mind when I think of community.Here are some questions I ask myself when I consider my community. How are our actions as part of this community helping to grow the community? How can future members of the community look back at my actions as it relates to the growth of the community?Without growth, any community you are currently a part of will not exist at a future point in time. If you are interested you can learn more about the concept of ulu from this interview with Kumu Keala Ching.As you read this week's resources I would like you to reflect on the communities that you are a part of, whether they are in web3 or not. How are you contributing to their growth? What actions are you taking that will help those that are joining you perpetuate your mission? My hope is that those of us in the early stages of web3 and the metaverse are making positive contributions to the growth of our communities.Here is a summary of the resources for this week:🎸 Podcast interview with James Hill on his 'ukulele project that invites NFT holders to record with him on his album📚 The best books on the metaverse for your summer reading🤖 Reflections on using AI to write an essay🧒 A web3 social network for kids secures additional funding