The Not Invented Here (NIH) bias reflects a preference for internal solutions while dismissing external contributions, regardless of their quality. In online communities, this bias can stifle collaboration and innovation, as members may undervalue or reject ideas from outsiders or competing groups. Such attitudes can limit the community’s growth and access to diverse perspectives.
Community managers can mitigate this bias by fostering a culture that values all contributions based on merit, regardless of their origin. Encouraging cross-community collaboration and showcasing successful integrations of external ideas can help create a more open and innovative environment.
In a tech forum, a user might dismiss an open-source tool simply because it wasn’t developed by their favorite company. Moderators can encourage a balanced discussion by highlighting the tool’s features and real-world success stories, emphasizing merit over origin.