The importance of data ownership for community leaders
A community’s data is more than just numbers and names; it reflects the community’s pulse—what members care about, discuss, and engage with. This data includes all of the knowledge generated through those discussions which should be a lasting resource, always accessible to your community. However, many platforms make it difficult to access your community’s history, or even limit how much history you can access, hindering your ability to retain and leverage valuable insights. Others may prevent you from taking your data with you if you decide to move. Choosing the right platform from the start helps you future-proof your community.
At Discourse, we believe that data ownership and portability is a vital part of empowering communities. It’s a commitment to community leaders who value independence, transparency, and control over the communities they are building.
The key to community independence
True data ownership isn’t just about having access to your community’s information—it’s about having the ability to manage and move that data freely. Imagine putting years of effort into building a thriving community only to find that you’re unable to access or move your data when you need to.
Data portability is what turns ownership into real control. Whether you need to switch platforms, back up content, or perform a deep dive into community trends, portability safeguards your community’s hard-won interactions, insights, and history. This flexibility gives community leaders the peace of mind that they can always make choices that align with their community’s best interests, free from the constraints of any single platform.
The risk of free platforms
When you rely on free platforms like Reddit, Facebook Groups, or Discord to host your community, data ownership becomes complicated. Their major draw is that they’re free. But these platforms retain control over your data and the interactions within your community, limiting your access and autonomy. If policies change, or if the platform’s priorities shift, your community’s data—and its future—could be compromised. A recent example is the Reddit blackout, where widespread protests from users and moderators erupted after Reddit restricted API access and imposed high fees on third-party apps that communities relied on for moderation and engagement. The blackout underscored how little power individual community moderators and subreddit owners actually had over their communities.
Additionally, because that data isn’t yours—that’s part of the agreement with free platforms—moving to a new platform means you risk losing years of conversations, valuable insights, and likely a portion of your members who may not make the switch to a new home for your community. On these platforms, you’re not the customer; you’re the product. Discourse, by contrast, prioritizes data ownership and portability, offering straightforward tools to export your community’s data whenever you need it. With Discourse, you can export a complete copy of your database—including all tables—at any time, without needing to contact support. Additionally, the Data Explorer plugin lets you access and query any table in your database whenever needed.
Look for platforms that allow your community to remain aligned with your vision, not the platform’s decisions.
Beware of vendor lock-In and hidden exit fees
So, you might think this means we’re only in favor of paid community platforms. That’s not true—our software is 100% open source, allowing anyone to start a community and self-host for free. But let’s talk about paid community platform options, where there are specific factors to watch out for—especially vendor lock-in and hidden exit fees. Some platforms may seem like the perfect fit, but the fine print can reveal restrictions on data access and portability. Vendor lock-in can make it costly—or even prohibitive—to move your community if you choose to leave. From fees for exporting data to barriers on accessing essential insights, these hidden terms can trap communities on platforms that no longer meet their needs.
By carefully reviewing a platform’s terms, you’re not only choosing the right place for your community today but also preserving its future flexibility and independence.
Securing the future of your community
Data ownership is fundamentally about managing information, and it raises an essential question: who should have the right to manage it? When community leaders hold this responsibility, they gain the freedom to protect, grow, and shape their communities according to their unique vision and values. While relying on free platforms can be convenient—after all, free is tempting—it often means relinquishing control.
Choosing a platform that prioritizes data ownership and portability strengthens that control, allowing you to safeguard your community’s story and shape its future on your terms.