Susan Karol of the Suburban Newspaper Association presented a study about what makes the best community Web sites during the EPpy convention. Oddly enough, the study showed that the best of the best are well known among their users for something so common, so basic, it’s often overlooked in online journalism – breaking news.

In their study, conducted in conjunction with Belden, more than 8,500 people were interviewed across 16 states, in 21 different media markets. Users were asked what they want from a community Web site.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said constant updates are “very useful.” That’s important because the study also found that the more utilitarian the site was perceived to be, the more successful it was in attracting readers.

What about social networking? Nifty calendars? Blogs that users can set up on their own, groups to join, user-submitted content?

None of this disregards the usefulness of whiz-bang tools. But it does help prioritize the way these tools are presented. If constant updates are most important to users, then showing the newest user profiles, latest calendar events and blog entries, etc. could make a difference in the minds of users.