How Designers, Developers, Community Managers, and Software Structure Discourse

Discourse is an open-source platform for online discussions, enabling communities and organizations to communicate effectively. It provides a space for users to share ideas, engage in debates, and collaborate on projects. In this article, we will explore the roles of designers, developers, community managers, and the software structure itself in enhancing the discourse experience.

The Role of Designers in Discourse

Designers play a critical role in creating an appealing and user-friendly interface for discourse platforms. They focus on creating visually pleasing layouts, choosing appropriate color schemes, and designing intuitive navigation elements. The designers' goal is to ensure that users have an enjoyable and engaging experience while navigating through discussions.

Furthermore, designers also take into consideration accessibility features. They design with alt attributes in mind, providing long descriptive keywords for the alt attribute to make the platform more inclusive for users who rely on screen readers. These alt attributes enable visually impaired users to understand the content displayed in images, enhancing their overall experience within the discourse community.

Designing Online Communities: How Designers, Developers, Community Managers, and Software Structure Discourse and Knowledge Production on the Web (New Literacies and Digital Epistemologies Book 72)

by Trevor Owens(1st Edition, Kindle Edition)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2330 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	153 pages

FREE

Designers work closely with developers to bring their creative vision to life. They provide input on how the software should handle various design elements and collaborate to ensure a seamless integration between visual aesthetics and functionality.

The Role of Developers in Discourse

Developers are responsible for building and maintaining the software that powers discourse platforms. They leverage coding languages like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to create reliable and scalable platforms.

When it comes to accessibility, developers work closely with designers to implement alt attributes in the discourse software structure. They ensure that the software can process and display the long descriptive keywords properly, improving the experience for visually impaired users. Developers also optimize the code to make the discourse platform responsive and compatible across different devices, ensuring a smooth browsing experience for users.

Developers continuously work on enhancing the functionality of discourse platforms. They add new features requested by users and fix any bugs or performance issues that may arise. By collaborating with designers and community managers, developers ensure that the software structure supports the evolving needs of the discourse community.

The Role of Community Managers in Discourse

Community managers are the liaisons between the users and the discourse platform. They play a crucial role in shaping the community and maintaining a positive and engaging environment for discussions.

One of the key responsibilities of community managers is to encourage active participation within the discourse community. They moderate discussions, ensure that users follow the set guidelines, and foster meaningful conversations. Community managers also handle user feedback, addressing any concerns or issues they may have.

Additionally, community managers facilitate communication between designers and developers. They gather user feedback on the discourse platform's design and functionality, relay it to the relevant parties, and collaborate to implement necessary improvements.

The Role of Software Structure in Discourse

The software structure is the backbone of any discourse platform. It needs to be robust, secure, and scalable to handle the diverse needs of a thriving community.

The software structure ensures that discourse platforms can handle a large number of users and posts without compromising performance. It stores user data securely, enables efficient search functionality, and provides seamless integration with third-party tools and plugins. The structure also supports notifications and real-time updates, enabling users to stay engaged with ongoing discussions.

Accessibility is a critical aspect of the software structure. It supports the inclusion of alt attributes by providing the necessary functionality to process and display the long descriptive keywords. This ensures that visually impaired users can engage with the discourse community without limitations.

The discourse experience is shaped by the combined efforts of designers, developers, community managers, and the software structure. Designers focus on creating visually appealing interfaces and implementing alt attributes to enhance accessibility. Developers build and maintain the underlying code, ensuring a scalable and reliable platform. Community managers foster engagement and handle user feedback. The software structure provides the necessary backbone to support a thriving discourse community.

By recognizing the importance of each role and fostering collaboration between all parties, discourse platforms can continuously evolve and provide an exceptional user experience for online discussions.

Designing Online Communities: How Designers, Developers, Community Managers, and Software Structure Discourse and Knowledge Production on the Web (New Literacies and Digital Epistemologies Book 72)

by Trevor Owens(1st Edition, Kindle Edition)

5 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	2330 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	153 pages

FREE

Discussion on the Web is mediated through layers of software and protocols. As scholars increasingly study communication and learning on the Internet, it is essential to consider how site administrators, programmers, and designers create interfaces and enable functionality. The managers, administrators, and designers of online communities can turn to more than 20 years of technical books for guidance on how to design online communities toward particular objectives. Through analysis of this «how-to» literature, Designing Online Communities explores the discourse of design and configuration that partially structures online communities and later social networks. Tracking the history of notions of community in these books suggests the emergence of a logic of permission and control. Online community defies many conventional notions of community. Participants are increasingly treated as «users», or even as commodities themselves to be used. Through consideration of the particular tactics of these administrators, this book suggests how researchers should approach the study and analysis of the records of online communities.