I’ve been asked this directly and I’ve also seen a lot of people asking it publicly. Why are the Skoolers community rules vague? Some people are totally fine with it. Others really dislike it. Both reactions are okay. Some people prefer things extremely clear with exact limits. Some are used to platforms where everything is spelled out. Others have been part of large communities before and already understand why vague rules exist in the first place. Here’s the part that matters and why I now strongly recommend vague rules… even for smaller communities. Hard rules create loopholes. Vague rules create better communities. The moment you introduce hard limits, people naturally want to reach those limits. Instead of looking at the intention of a post, it turns into “does this technically fit in the guidelines?” It even takes away from something that makes a community really wonderful. If a community like Skoolers spelled out exactly what a good post is and what a bad post is, we might never see some of the creativity that comes from someone trying something out. From experimenting. From sharing something that wasn’t done before that ends up being genuinely good. Vague rules leave room for that. They also mean that as moderators and admins, we end up having a lot of conversations. We look at patterns. We make decisions based on context instead of black and white rules. Sometimes there is a new person who is just trying to fit in. A post might technically be questionable, but the right response is to welcome them and guide them. Other times someone is new and blatantly self promoting, which clearly is not allowed. In that case, we can redirect and still welcome them without letting the behavior continue. Those situations look similar on paper but they are very different in reality. Vague rules allow for that distinction. They also protect against bad actors. An example that Andrew Kirby shared explains this well. If people were told they would not be prosecuted for stealing things under $50, you would immediately see people stealing things up to $49. The clear rule creates the behavior.

One of the great things about Skool is that Sam Ovens listens when people ask questions or make feature requests inside the Skoolers community. Some questions that came up were: How do I get notified when someone posts in my community? How do I get a notification when a new member requests to join? These were common questions because most owners want to respond quickly and keep engagement moving. Until now there was no way to turn those alerts on. Skool listened and built the solution. You now have them in your notification controls. They are turned off by default. If you want alerts, you can turn them on manually. Here is how to update your notification settings: Click on your profile photo. - Desktop will show you the user menu drop down - Mobile you will have to click the 3 dots in the top right to get to the user menu drop down On the user menu drop down, click Settings. Then click on Notifications. - Desktop it will have tabs on the side and you see "Notifications" there - Mobile you will need to slide it to see "Notifications" Then expand the notification settings for the community you want to change. Click either On or Off for what you want to be notified on. You can turn on notifications for: • Admin announcements • Event reminder email • New customer email • Membership requests • Reported content • New Post This puts you in control of what you stay updated on. Faster approvals. Better responsiveness. A smoother community experience for everyone. Which notification are you turning on first now that the option is finally here?

Curious to see who’s been here the longest. 👀 How long have you been on Skool, and what’s one change or feature release that you thought was a great move? There’s been a lot of updates over time, so it’ll be fun to see which ones stood out most to each of you.

@William Renner just released a podcast we recorded last year, and I didn’t hold back. We got into everything Skool. What works, what doesn’t, and why so many communities fail. If you run a Skool community or support one, you may find some of what I shared helpful. We talked about the real challenges, the shifts people need to make, and why most Skool owners struggle. Check out William's post in Skool Community. (Also, show him some love for inviting me on his podcast. Thank you, William! 🙌) I have had an audio podcast about Skool before with a co-host, but have been thinking about starting a new one. 👇 Let me know if you want more of this kind of content.

Skool is already packed with some incredible and fun communities, but there’s always room for more creativity! Ever thought, “Why isn’t there a community for that?” Maybe something for impressive balloon animals, hosting unforgettable parties, DIY projects, or something totally unique? 💡 Let’s brainstorm together! What’s a hobby, skill, or interest that would make an amazing community? It doesn’t have to be something you’d start, just an idea of a community you’d love to join and pay $5-$7 (or more) a month for. ✨ How to Join the Fun: 1. Post your idea as a comment. (Only ONE community idea per comment please. Post as many as you want.) 2. See something you love? Use the reply button to add your thoughts and hype it up. Let’s build on each other’s ideas. ⤵️ Keep it Organized: Please reply directly to comments using the reply function so everything stays neat and together. 👇 Drop as many ideas as you can think of. Let’s make this the go-to thread for sparking new community inspiration on Skool! 🚀