Community networks are the same as social networks. People extend what they are capable of doing by the people with whom they connect. In theory, everyone in a vibrant community is connected; networking entails taking advantage of those connections to better administer and publicize a worthy community program.
The value of networking can be understood by looking at an opposite condition, heroism. A person or an organization heroically assumes the burden alone for a worthy community program. We’ve become a hero/idol driven society, but there are several problems with this in the context of community. First, heroes can burn out or fall from grace, and the worthy community program the hero spearheaded suffers accordingly. Second, heroism relieves the responsibility from all those who are not “heroes;” there becomes less ownership and buy-in from the community. Third, less people will know what’s going on or get involved when the “good news” only emanates from once source.
