Making the most of your participation
With participation, the first level is of course being present, even if just to watch and follow the content. You, as with most people, may start participating in communities because you see valuable content: presentations, articles, blog posts, or any content that can help you evolve. Even on the first level of just watching, you can derive much greater results if you make a little bit of extra effort.
First, participate live as much as possible. Even if you’re watching a fully online community where everything is recorded, try to be there live. That way, you can properly interact with other people, with the organizers and speakers of the community, and you have the option to ask questions.
So, make a special effort to ask questions. This helps the wider community, increasing the interaction between the speakers and the audience, and even between the participants. It also helps the organizers to see that their efforts are working...