Probably the most requested feature for Wildfire and Spark is the ability to chat with users on the public proprietary IM networks: AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo (Google Talk already works great with Wildfire and Spark since it can federate through the open XMPP protocol).

I'm happy to announce that we've been working with Daniel Henninger on a new Open Source gateway plugin for Wildfire. Daniel has brought his experience working on the Python gateway components to create a very easy to use gateway system. At the moment, there's support for AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo, with IRC support coming soon. The code is still in the very early stages, but there's already some things that make these gateways different than what's been done before:

• Installation and setup is trivial since it's a Wildfire plugin. Existing gateways for XMPP servers have to be installed as external components, which means installing dependencies, config file edits, etc. Also, working as a Wildfire plugin gives the gateways internal access to the server, which allows nice features like dynamic changes to users' rosters.

• Web-based administration of the plugin allows each network to be enabled or disabled along with features and permissions, and to view and edit gateway registrations.

• Tight integration with Spark: we're building extremely easy to use Gateway support into Spark. Of course, any other client with gateway support will work as well.

The current plan is to have beta releases available in the next several weeks. We'll also provide continued updates on development progress in the forums.

[forums|http://www.flickr.com/photos/50884898@N00/203286219/] [forums|http://www.flickr.com/photos/50884898@N00/203286220/]

In Wildfire2.6, we've introduced support for the Publish-Subscribe extension to XMPP (Jabber). A loose analogy is that it's like RSS on steroids, but for instant messaging. A slightly more technical take: it's a comprehensive system for publishing and consuming topic-based events.

Like RSS, pubsub offers a simple way to get notifications. But far beyond RSS, pubsub has rich publishing and permissions systems. As a more radical example than standard news syndication, a company could use pubsub to power a file sharing service; certain users would be allowed to publish files, while others could read them (with optional moderation). Users would be notified in real-time when files are added or modified, and could even filter notifications using keywords. Other IM twists to the pubsub protocol allow you to choose to only receive events when you're online, use your buddy list for permissions management, etc. The reason we're excited about pubsub is two-fold:

1. It's much more comprehensive than the existing mainstream event protocols like RSS and Atom, which means you can do much cooler stuff. Of course, RSS and Atom should be thought of as complementary rather than competing technologies since they're for a different medium.

2. If you believe like Jive and Google that an XMPP instant messaging client will be on every user's desktop, that means pubsub is a viable<span style="font-weight: bold"># platform</span># for building all sorts of services.

At this point, pubsub is just an interesting technology that remains to be proven. However, we'll be building some innovative services on top of it and I'm sure others will be too.

If you're interested in learning more about pubsub and how it can be applied, read our article on the topic.

One thing is for sure -- just because you launch an online community doesnt mean people will use it. Since community software has been around for a long time, most people think its a no-brainer. But nine times out of ten, people underestimate what it really takes to build something great -- be it internal or external. Much like e-commerce, companies think that its something you can just "turn on." Some even attempt to write their own software.

Whatever you decide, save yourself some pain and keep the following things in mind:

*1.     *Take the time to be smart

It takes anywhere from 2-6 weeks of planning on the front end of launching or re-launching an online community depending on your scope. Make sure you budget for it. Have an outline of what your plan should include. Set benchmarks -- who else is doing a good job? Why? Be sure to check out the landscape.

2.     Draft clear blueprints

Sounds simple, but like anything else, it takes focus and your team's alignment about what you're building and its business value. There is not always agreement on your target audience, why they care, and how you'll measure success. Be sure to identify your internal executors and their precise dependencies -- otherwise what should be last steps can stretch to miles. And be clear about what youll do with your communitys output and what technology is the best for your goals  switching technology later inevitably frustrates your members.

3.     Work to emulate "real life"

An online community has the same rules as a real-life community. Prospective and long-time members need to feel like it's built for them, and all the right ingredients are there. That means it should 1) resonate with the members, 2) be easy to connect to others and to helpful answers, 3) have a sense of member status, and 4) the interactions should create value. If it's not intuitive to do these things, people leave.

4. Reward people and content

Active community participants care deeply about their status in the community. Most companies greatly underestimate this and dont have a solid plan for how to reward members to motivate the right kind of contribution (and more people to contribute). If reward is not tightly tied to community-perceived value, then the system can be easily abused and the community can get upset. As well, make it easy for the community to create content, reward the content thats most valuable and have the power to expose that content to other members.

5.     Make it ok to not be ok

For a community to thrive, everyone should feel like they can speak up. If the content is too hot or too cold, people wont add value. No one wants to be flamed. No one wants to join something lifeless. You have to provide a place that members can be opinionated and honest. Be sure you think through what you will and wont allow so you can provide an environment that feels true for everyone. And if you plan to have a corporate voice within the community, make sure it's "of the community" and not perceived as heavy-handed.

6.     Easy does it

You knew this one would be on the list, didnt you? No one wants to learn how to participate, how to find answers or how to connect with the right people. These should be effortless and intuitive. Otherwise people give up or try other channels. While a lot has to do with software selection, a big part is how you stage the community and plan for growth. A short "how-to" can help, as long as it's simple and straightforward.

7.     Stock the shelves

Think of content like groceries. Theres a shelf life, a value, people have to find it and it needs to be well merchandised. Not to mention that when you start one from scratch the shelves need to be stocked when you cut the ribbon. So, seed high-value content in the beginning. Do what you can to make sure that content is easily recognized as from you or from other community members (or both). And make sure that youre working the produce long after opening day.

8.     Manage the store

Someone (emphasis on one) has to manage the store. They have to be in charge of the community. Make them accountable for being the companys ambassador to the community and being the voice of the community to the company. Like anything else, if theres not a clear leader things turn to mud.

9.     Fearlessly listen and respond

Early warning can make a big difference. The more your company listens and responds to your members, the more members will stick with you. Look for a system that can notify you (and others) even if you're not in the community. Empower your community manager -- they should have an internal audience so they can surface whats happening in the community and get the right people involved. The manager should be able to offer community members quick resolutions when they need help. Build in automatic escalation, so if a question goes unanswered, an internal resource will make sure it gets closed. Sending members some cool t-shirts or other perks always works, too.

10. Make it you

Lastly, your community should reflect who you are. Get your company involved. Make sure its exposed and promoted heavily. Engage your brand owners to help ensure that the way it looks and feels rings true to your community. Be sure to find something you can customize and then take the time to do it. Design it as an extension of who you are as a company -- your community members will repay you tenfold.