Here’s some of the best reading I’ve done lately about community, customer interactions, and community management.

A Real Person, A Lot Like You: Derek Sivers

When we yell at our car or coffee machine, it’s fine because they’re just mechanical appliances.

So when we yell at a website or company, using our computer or phone appliance, we forget it’s not an appliance, but a person that’s affected.

It’s too overwhelming to remember that at the end of every computer is a real person, a lot like you, whose birthday was last week, who has three best friends but nobody to spoon at night, and is personally affected by what you say.

Sysmos Blog: Community Managers: Social Media’s Blockers and Tacklers

The reality is community managers are the “blockers and tacklers” within the social media game.

Differentiating Between Social Media and Community Management: Rachel Happe

…in both cases, the person managing the initiative is responsible for being responsive and conversational, for tracking the success of the interactions in driving desired outcomes, and sometimes they use similar tools.

Much To Do About Social CRM: Michael Thomas

“Too many companies look at Social Media as being a separate entity but as I always say you cannot have a conversation or strategy pertaining to traditional CRM that does not have a Social angle. If you look closer you will also see that the Marketing, Sales and Support lanes are all intertwined and lean on each other in sort of a full circle process. There is a large amount of crossover in those lanes can point and speak to the Social Audience.”

(“Internet Argument” comic via XKCD.)

Want to keep up on everything we’re reading? We’re Tumbling some of our highlighted reading.