Especially in this day and age, when people who are not professionals in the community find themselves on the front lines due to professional necessity or simply due to the nature of social media. When they lead a discussion with you or a company, remind them that they are all part of the same community. Questions stimulate discussion among community members, which you can use to get useful information. So, here are some tips for those who need to talk to members of the user community. Don’t get your head bashed in. Eyes alone are not an indicator of your importance to the team. Too often we think of them as all-or-nothing: either they are a loud and not very relevant minority, or they represent the core of the user base. Posters are not representative of all users, but they often have an impact. Crisis is bad for everyone, but daily work is always difficult for people in the community, and stress can be very high. When subgroups are struggling, remind them that they share a broader common identity. Community is proactive, not reactive. Ask questions, don’t get into arguments.