An introduction occurs when someone (either the person themselves, or another party) names and describes a person, often a newcomer to the group, to the other members of the group.
Introducing new community members[]
In some communities, it is a Community norm for new members to introduce themselves. (A small minority of communities, however, do not welcome introductions, and consider them noise.)
Best practices[]
- If you would like new members to introduce themselves, send them an email (or other contact) just after they join up, reminding them of it.
- For small communities, the Community manager may individually welcome new members and invite them to introduce themselves
- Introductions may be easier if you offer a simple exercise to help people describe themselves. Examples include:
- "Three tags" -- in a face-to-face gathering, ask each participant to say their name and three Tags that describe their interests
- In Style Salon, a Dreamwidth community, members are encouraged to post describing "Three things I wear or own that are most me."
- In a large group environment, such as a Conference, you can encourage people to introduce themselves to each other by offering ways for people to add Tags to their Nametags, or by instigating Games or other such activities that encourage people to meet. Meals can be a good time to do this.
Introducing speakers[]
Main article: Speakers
It's best for one of the organisers of a Conference or similar event to introduce each speaker.
Best practices[]
- Practice saying the person's name beforehand, to make sure you can pronounce it correctly.
- Provide a brief outline of the speaker's qualifications and background