Interview with Anna Lear

Interview with Anna Lear

UGtastic Archive
Transcript Verified
The Interviewer

Mike Hall

Interviewer, community organizer at UGtastic

The Guest

Anna Lear

Community Manager at Stack Exchange

The Conversation


Mike Hall Interviewer, community organizer at UGtastic
Hi, it's Mike with UGtastic. Today I'm sitting down with Anna Lear, who is a community manager with Stack Exchange. Anna, thank you for taking the time to sit down.
Anna Lear Community Manager at Stack Exchange
It's good to be here. Thanks.
Mike Hall Interviewer, community organizer at UGtastic
Can you tell me a little bit about what is Stack Exchange overall and what is a community manager?
Anna Lear Community Manager at Stack Exchange
Stack Exchange is a network of question-and-answer websites, starting with Stack Overflow. My role is to help communities foster healthy, expert-led Q&A environments.
Mike Hall Interviewer, community organizer at UGtastic
It sounds like a lot of mediation.
Anna Lear Community Manager at Stack Exchange
It is. It's about empowering moderators and helping the community self-govern through 'Meta' sites.

Critical Insights


durable
"Community management in technical domains is about teaching self-governance rather than exercising top-down control."