It really doesn’t seem like it was only two weeks ago that I walked through the doors of the cleverly named ‘White Building’ in Reading (yes, you guessed it, it’s white!) to start my first day working for Acquia as Mautic Community Manager!

Have you ever watched discussions happening in your community where someone shares a thought or opinion, or responds with a message which does not appear to be thought through or doesn’t seem to have any substance?

Often, we frown on this kind of discussion and the person can even be ridiculed for their lack of understanding or clarity - posts get closed down or threads deleted for lack of substance.

How, then, do we cater for those in our communities - like myself - who are external thinkers?

You've got a great idea and you're thinking that building a community around your idea would be a great fit .. but where do you start?

Often communities are launched without much background preparation, and many fail to thrive as a result.  There are many useful resources out there to help you with starting, growing and managing a community - a few of which I'll outline below.

Today is an important day in the Buddhist calendar - it's Sangha Day, where we celebrate one of the 'Three Jewels' of Buddhism.  The Three Jewels are at the heart of Buddhism, and include:

• The Buddha (The person who gained enlightenment for the sake of all beings, and shared his experience with others) - Yellow
• The Dharma (The teachings through which the Buddha shared his experiences of enlightenment, making it possible for others to achieve) - Blue
• The Sangha (The spiritual community who have gained enlightenment, and the people with whom we share our lives) - Red

Community plays an important part in my life, both in my Buddhist practice but also my interest and roles within the Joomla! Community, so I thought it would be helpful to unpack what my thoughts were on why community is important in today's society.