When I was a young mathematician, I worked with a person who always wrote his own textbook - his way - I must admit that they were far superior to others in numerous ways (no pun intended).  This was because he was a leader in that area of mathematical research.

Later, as we both got into personal computers and programming, his teaching and textbooks began to cover ground that many had already trodden.  Again, it was necessary to do it "his way".  Here, the benefits were less obvious.  Often, these books added a certain small mathematical twist that was interesting to a few; but I often wondered about why there was a need to write yet another book on Pascal.

One day, my mentor announced to me that he was going to write a "C" book.  I was abhorred.  I loved my K&R (still do - Kernigahan and Ritchie for those who do not know).  There is no other introductory book on the C programming language that stacks up to it.  Those who did not care for it were invariably light-weight’s when it came to programming.  It’s a book that I can still enjoy and benefit from re-reading today, even though I no longer program in C (or C++ for that matter). 

I told my friend and teacher this and asked him to carefully study and master K&R before adding yet another C programming book to the countless others that do not even come close to igniting the passion for this archaic language, and always relevant style and words of wisdom, that many of us had. 

This "little book" is to C programming, what Strunk and White is to writing style.

Today, I am tasked with building new communities.  But I see countless ones already and many that need help in various ways.

So why build yet another? 

Why not take all of the resources and content planned for new community development and offer it to OurMedia, as an example.  How much could an extra paid programmer or two help?  Or a graphic designer? 

We can all help guest moderate more - they are always asking.  We can participate more. 

Why develop the infrastructure for proprietary web services, when they could be integrated into others automatically?

Why build so many new communities?  Why not join others and help make them richer?