The Vocal Minority II

As Nomad points out, the "vocal minority" argument can and has been used as an excuse not to take action on issues of legitimate (and noisy) concern by a given game community. However, this is also a perception that is sometimes fostered by people within Community Relations itself.

Too often, a CM becomes overly concerned with his/her relationships internally -- with producers, other managers, execs, etc. -- and loses track of the primary area of responsibility for the position. Of course, that "primary responsibility" is a matter of some debate, but I think that most people agree that the liaison function of the CM position, between company and customers, is at least one of the core functions of any Community Relations effort.

So, I have seen CM's themselves buying into the fallacious (in my opinion) "Vocal Minority" argument as a way to either ingratiate themselves with co-workers or to avoid confrontation about perceptions within the company versus customer perceptions. Additionally, the liaison function of a CM can be grueling, and there is always the temptation to slip out from under it and to invent other tangential areas of responsibility. However, in doing so, a CM undermines one of the primary reasons for their existence.

Engagement with paying customers is crucial for almost any industry, be it real estate or computer games. But it can be hard. And sometimes even expensive. But there is a competitive advantage there. The "Vocal Minority" meme is too often used as an excuse to avoid the work and expense. And sadly, this meme is sometime championed by Community professionals themselves.