Monthly Archives: October 2007

FPF “revolutionized neighborhood life in the 2000s”

Posted on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 by No comments yet

We get lovely comments from happy members every day… I consider it part of the “benefits package” of working on this effort. Here’s what Stephanie on the South End of Burlington, VT just sent in…

What a wonderful idea Front Porch Forum is! It’s really revolutionized neighborhood life in the 2000s. I am very sorry for people who have no sense of community. I feel so much more connected to people, to our community, because of FPF. I hope that it catches on nationwide; seems like the whole country could use a little more community.

Neighborhood Name and Search

Posted on Wednesday, October 3, 2007 by No comments yet

Andrew Shotland wrote yesterday…

Ian White’s Urban Mapping provides neighborhood data to local search companies meaning when you search for “Starbucks in Soho”, chances are the search engine you’re using uses Urban Mapping’s data to figure out where “Soho” is. Neighborhoods are weird things, most of them do not have defined boundaries of where they start and stop. I sort of know what I’m talking about when I say the “West Village” of NYC but chances are my definition is different than yours.

At SMX Local today, Ian went through the data that AOL accidentally leaked (something like 20 million searches) and found that 9% the search terms people used included what he classified as “neighborhood-specific” terms. Compare that to zip codes which accounted for less than 1% of the searches.

FPF Members Rally for Homeless Shelter

Posted on Monday, October 1, 2007 by No comments yet

Good news from COTS (Committee on Temporary Shelter)…

Today we got lunch donated by a “Neighborhood” that was coordinated through Front Porch Forum, They made a variety of sandwiches, even brought garden fresh tomatoes separate to put on the sandwiches, AND a survey for us to fill out & let her know what worked & what didn’t – Very Awesome!!!

FPF Viral Message of the Day

Posted on Monday, October 1, 2007 by No comments yet

The following message has been posted by Front Porch Forum members in a number of neighborhood forums today across Chittenden County. I rarely know how these things spread from one neighborhood forum to the next… but they do.

A friend of a friend found six puppies in a bag on the street and is trying to find homes for them. They are a black lab mix and absolutely adorable. Probably around 2 months old. They have been treated for fleas and worms. My organization, The Bubba Foundation may be able to provide assistance with the first trip to the vet and/or spaying/neutering.

If you would like to see a photo, please email. Please pass the word to anyone you know who may be looking for a puppy. Thanks!

UPDATE: Goods news from a Front Porch Forum member:

I’ve heard through my husband that all six of those puppies had been placed. Just wanted to let you all know.

UPDATE-IER: Dave, another FPF member just added…

The “PUPPIES LOOKING FOR HOMES” I’m almost certain is a hoax all… that same email spread like wildfire through my (large) company. Social Engineering at its finest, preying on CUTE and many folks kind hearts. A co-worker found a link to an Atlanta web site where, oddly enough, those exact same caged lab mix puppies were looking for a home. Sorry to all those with big hearts who were willing to help. The Humane Society of Greater Burlington can still put those kind hearts to use however!

UPDATE-IEST:   Okay, let’s go to snopes.com, the great urban myth debunker…

In September 2007 the following adoption appeal for black labrador puppies began circulating.

This appears to have been a genuine appeal that began as a Craigslist posting, but although the person whose name and phone number were listed on the earliest e-mailed versions has stated that all puppies have since been adopted, the same message and picture continue to be forwarded with a number of different names, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, and locations now attached to them.