community-platform-patterns

Community Platform Patterns

Build engaging community platforms with sustainable moderation and meaningful interaction design.

Core Data Model

from datetime import datetime
from enum import Enum

class MemberRole(str, Enum):
    MEMBER = "member"
    MODERATOR = "moderator"
    ADMIN = "admin"

class ContentStatus(str, Enum):
    DRAFT = "draft"
    PUBLISHED = "published"
    HIDDEN = "hidden"      # Soft-removed by mod
    ARCHIVED = "archived"

# Core entities
class Member:
    id: str
    display_name: str
    bio: str
    joined_at: datetime
    role: MemberRole
    reputation: int = 0

class Discussion:
    id: str
    title: str
    body: str
    author_id: str
    category: str
    status: ContentStatus
    created_at: datetime
    reply_count: int = 0
    view_count: int = 0
    pinned: bool = False
    locked: bool = False

class Reply:
    id: str
    discussion_id: str
    author_id: str
    body: str
    parent_id: str | None = None  # Threaded replies
    status: ContentStatus
    created_at: datetime
    upvotes: int = 0

Discussion Forum

Thread Display Patterns

Flat (chronological): Best for announcements and linear conversations.

Threaded (nested): Best for technical discussions where tangents are valuable.

Hybrid (flat with quoted replies): Best for general discussion.

async def get_discussion_with_replies(discussion_id: str, sort: str = "chronological"):
    discussion = await db.get_discussion(discussion_id)
    replies = await db.get_replies(discussion_id)

    if sort == "chronological":
        return sorted(replies, key=lambda r: r.created_at)
    elif sort == "threaded":
        return build_thread_tree(replies)
    elif sort == "popular":
        return sorted(replies, key=lambda r: r.upvotes, reverse=True)

Categories and Tags

CATEGORIES = {
    "reading-group": {"description": "Book discussions and study groups", "color": "#4A90D9"},
    "announcements": {"description": "Official updates", "color": "#E74C3C", "mod_only": True},
    "help": {"description": "Questions and support", "color": "#2ECC71"},
    "showcase": {"description": "Share your work", "color": "#F39C12"},
    "meta": {"description": "About the community itself", "color": "#9B59B6"},
}