Cassie’s anecdote about joining the podcast community highlights the importance of doing your

own research before diving into a community, especially one where you could have an influence.

She talks about the questions she had in the beginning and all the parts of her podcast she would

have to think about, like credible sources, citing, and her show’s formatting (Hemstrom and

Anders 192). By doing research before joining a community, you can avoid small mistakes early

on and have a basis of knowledge before beginning. Because Cassie did her own research, she

started her podcast with an understanding of how to create a good title and tagline, as well as

how to find and cite the research in her episodes. If she had not prepared herself before diving in,

Cassie could have spent months trying to get her podcast going and made dozens of mistakes

along the way. In general, people join groups to feel like they are a part of something bigger.

Whether it’s a charitable organization or just a hobby, communities make a person feel like they

are making a difference outside of themselves. When we first join a community that is new to us,

we may make mistakes or seek help from more expert members to make us feel more involved.

Once we get our bearings, we start making our own contributions to the group and offering our

own insights on different topics. In general, people feel the most involved in a group when they

can offer their own help to a newer member or contribute their own research to the community.

Being involved and helpful in a community makes us feel like we belong there.