Martin De Saulles

Over the last few weeks I've been thinking a lot about the impact that informal and virtual communities might be having on established professional bodies.  I find I am getting a lot of value from the LinkedIn groups and other online communities including several run within Google Groups.  The discussions that go on in these places and the ability to ask and answer questions of other members provides much of the functionality that professional bodies have traditionally offered.  I see 4 key advantages that virtual communities offer over professional bodies:

1. They often cut across traditional barriers and link individuals from a variety of backgrounds and professions who share common interests that transcend the articles of association of bodies that may have been drawn up over 100 years ago;
2. They are easy to join and usually free;
3. Group members can be quick to respond to issues and questions - no bureaucratic committees to go through;
4. They tend to emerge from the grass roots to address specific issues and pursue common interests rather than from the top down. Some professional bodies give the impression (sometimes unfairly) they exist to serve the interests of their employees rather than their members.

Of course, professional associations also have their advantages such as having the resources to act as advocates for a profession, helping with the professional development of members and offering physical spaces for members to meet.  Some even have legal rights conferred on them requiring membership for employment in certain professions although this might be seen as an unhealthy monopoly and not always be in the broader interests of society.  

I'm not a technophile who thinks that the internet and its associated services and technologies are going to sweep away industries, organisations and practices over night.  However, I do believe some radical changes are taking place in the ways people communicate, collaborate and share information. One of the key functions of professional associations is to offer a space for people to gather, share information and pursue common interests.  Services like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Google also offer this functionality and people are increasingly taking to them.  When physical meetings are required these online tools work well in organising meet ups in cafes and bars.  I see this happening a lot in Brighton where a vibrant new media industry utilises the many watering holes and community work spaces around the city.  Many professional associations are also using these tools to help their members communicate with each other.  However, I can imagine a time, not too far away, when members will start to question what is the value their association offers if most of the conversations are taking place on online platforms hosted somewhere else.  Will it be possible to justify charging annual subscriptions of several hundred pounds to pay for buildings and employees? 

What do you think?