Denham Grey draws attention to Etienne Wenger’s idea that communities of practice can form the centre piece of a knowledge strategy. And then makes the observation:

What I found missing here is the community level practices to grow knowledge – think patterns, ontologies, distinctions, concept mapping, collaborative writing, knowledge mapping and beyond

One of the community level practices I think is useful, which was employed on Etienne’s community workshop, is the creation of home groups which focus on the mundane logistics of the community like organising speakers, suggesting topics for discussion and arranging face to face events. My friend, Paul Dowling, calls this ‘peeling the potatoes’, referring to those day-to-day jobs you do while (say) you are on holidays with friends that help you to get to know one another. Home teams (call them whatever you like) help create ‘community’.