Yearly Archives: 2008

Digital Natives will Save Us All

Posted on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 by • No comments yet

Gotta love Dilbert…

Better than Craigslist, Cars.com and local daily?

Posted on Saturday, April 5, 2008 by • No comments yet

We hear this kind of thing all the time, but we seldom capture it in writing. Thanks Wolfgang!

“Just wanted to let you know that we sold our Minivan today to a neighbor through Front Porch Forum. We had more people expressing interest and more people showing up to look at the van who found out through the Forum than the combined interest generated by Burlington Free Press, Cars.com and Craigslist combined. Thanks!” -Wolfgang

Please vote for us! And help spread the word… one vote per email address.

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“Good, honest, respectful communication” among neighbors

Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by • No comments yet

Andy and Carrie live in the same urban Burlington, VT neighborhood, but they don’t know each other. Carrie posted an item on their neighborhood’s Front Porch Forum and Andy took exception. He sent Carrie a note suggesting that she was out of bounds. Carrie asked me, as moderator, for an opinion. I thought her posting was fine, and she conveyed that back to Andy.

So, is this another story of snarky snipping in Web 2.0-land? Here’s the conclusion just received from Carrie…

“i couldn’t resist forwarding the e-mail [exchange]. it’s from the guy who has an issue with ‘out of neighborhood’ postings. we had some conflict, and now we both feel good about our connection. ALL BECAUSE OF YOUR FORUM! yeah, i know… ‘our’ forum. but you are the inspiration. good, honest, respectful communication is a beautiful thing to experience with neighbors. [emphasis added] thanks, michael.”

“yes, i voted! that’s cool.”

Thanks for sharing Carrie! -Michael

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Helping neighbors connect is newsworthy

Posted on Wednesday, April 2, 2008 by • No comments yet

Front Porch Forum’s story of helping neighbors connect and build community is showing up in the media recently. Of note, Mark Glaser just published a lengthy piece at MediaShift on PBS.org., starting with…

“We are a society that lives more and more in our technology-induced bubbles. When we go outside, we wear an iPod; we talk on cell phones while driving. In urban areas, we might never meet our neighbors unless there’s a fire or earthquake. But can technology also help bring us together in our physical communities, and help us get to know our neighbors? Front Porch Forum (FPF) is making a valiant effort to do just that”

Hopefully, his readers will cast a vote for us! And help spread the word.

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Opening Communication with Front Porch Forum

Posted on Monday, March 31, 2008 by • 1 comment

Sometimes it’s the little things that open up communication among neighbors. Here’s a message from Linda and George that was just posted on an until-now-sleepy Essex Junction, VT, neighborhood forum…

“Many thanks to all of our neighbors for helping with the search for our indoor black cat. So many of you called to say you had seen him or would look out for him. Cindy Smith on Villa Drive had been working with us to capture a very scared black cat that keep showing up at her garage looking for food. Today, Monday, she called to tell me that the cat was under the porch across the street. Sure enough, he was. Sassy was gone for 3 long weeks but now he is home: thin, hungry, and dirty, but safe. Again thanks to everyone who was willing to help.”

I’m glad for this family (and the cat!). This is just the kind of success story that leads to more neighbors signing up and putting Front Porch Forum to use.

Please vote for us! And help spread the word… one vote per email address.

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Grassroots Candidates use Front Porch Forum

Posted on Monday, March 31, 2008 by • No comments yet

At its best, Front Porch Forum simply provides a venue for some pent up community issue to bubble up and get addressed. This may be the case in a part of South Burlington, VT recently where neighbors discussed an opening on the City Council…

“I have been concerned that our neighborhood does not have adequate representation in the City and have considered running for it… This is a huge window of opportunity for someone from our neighborhood to take a leadership position in city government, given the attention this newly conceived plan deserves. You need only 30 signatures, and the deadline is mid-April. Our neighborhood needs to be a voice in the discussions shaping the future of South Burlington.”

Then neighbor Liz weighed in…

“I couldn’t agree more… but am also unable to adequately represent our neighborhood at this time.”

And she laid out some of the issues facing the neighborhood (e.g., airport expansion).

And then, lo and behold, neighbor Meaghan jumps in with both feet…

“Dear Neighbors – Because I feel it is so important for someone from our neighborhood to run, I’ve decided to give it a go. My husband and I have agreed, and I’m grateful to him and to our children for supporting me and moved that they are encouraging me in this effort. They, too, love this city and see this step as an investment in the future. If I succeed and am elected as City Councilor, I plan to use this Front Porch Forum as a means to hear your ideas and to communicate with you. This process can start now. And, if someone else wishes to run, I see this as a positive sign for our neighborhood and our city. So please do.”

Please vote for us! And help spread the word… one vote per email address.

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Local News Coverage of FPF and MIYO

Posted on Saturday, March 29, 2008 by • No comments yet

Andy Potter of WCAX in Burlington, VT knows a good story when he sees one!

Please vote for us! And help spread the word… one vote per email address. Read/add comments.

Thanks Andy…

Spot Burlington Friends and Landmarks on Video

Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 by • No comments yet

In the excitement around Front Porch Forum‘s selection for the big national Make It Your Own Awards, I neglected to share our new video clip! You can see it below, on YouTube, on the contest site, and on local access TV (schedules below)…

Special thanks to CCTV Channel 17 (Meghan O’Rourke, Sam Mayfield and Lauren-Glenn Davitian) and the dozens of local folks who appear in the clip.

RETN Channel 16 (more times forthcoming)

  • Sun, Mar 30 – 7 p.m.
  • Mon, Mar 31 – 7 a.m and 8:56 p.m. (right before our repeat airing of “Winter Soldier”)
  • Tue, Apr 1- 11 a.m., 8:00 p.m. and 12 a.m. (4/2)
  • Wed, Apr 2 – 8:59 a.m. (after Democracy NOW!), 2:58 p.m. and 8:56 p.m.
  • Thu, Apr 3 – 9 p.m.
  • Fri, Apr 4 – 9 a.m.
  • Sat, Apr 5 – 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.

CCTV Channel 17 (more times forthcoming)

  • Sat, Mar 29 – 6:33 PM
  • Sun, Mar 30 – 10:04 PM
  • Mon, Mar 31 – 3:04 AM, 9:04 AM, 3:04 PM

Please vote for us! And help spread the word… one vote per email address.

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Neighborly Encouragement

Posted on Friday, March 28, 2008 by • No comments yet

It’s inspiring to moderate Front Porch Forum in Vermont. Here’s part of Alan S.’s posting to his Burlington neighbors today…

Hello Neighbors – I assume that the rest of you are as ready for flowers and grass as I am. Enough of this cold and dreariness already!! I had a tree topple on my house during the last ice storm. Fortunately, it did no damage to the house, but I had to remove it entirely… It still seems strange that I live on Birch Court, but there are almost no birch trees left on the street. I may correct that shortcoming by planting one to replace the one I removed. I have to save up some funds because lately the cost of living is becoming prohibitive.

Hard earned dollars do not go as far and being fiscally conservative has become a way of life. We boomers are in for some tough times, especially those of us who got a late start saving and investing money. It behooves us to stick together and maintain our community with its resources. We will need all the resources we can muster in the future.

One immediate way to be involved is to join and attend our Neighborhood Planning Assembly. We hold monthly meetings at the Heineberg Senior and Community Center. Look for postings here on the forum. In addition to NPA, I encourage that you speak with city councilors, Board of Health members, school board members, and any other appointed or elected servants of the city. Your input to the processes of governance and change is critical to successful outcomes. I have learned not to underestimate the power of my single voice and certainly not the collective power of our many voices together. Please write, call, post on the forum and blogs, do whatever you can to raise community consciousness.

I also want to mention our need to reach out in our immediate neighborhoods. There are some of us living alone and living poorly for lack of resources. I believe that it would benefit them greatly if we paid them a neighborly visit. I encourage us to find small, but effective ways, to help someone near us. I keep in my own mind, that someday it could be me waiting for someone to be friendly and loving. Please reach out to your neighbor next door and beyond. The rewards for doing so will be great!!!

Please help us continue and expand this work… vote today and spread the word!

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Voters flocking to Make It Your Own Awards

Posted on Thursday, March 27, 2008 by • No comments yet

More and more people are voting online in the Make It Your Own Awards… hopefully lots of them casting one vote for Front Porch Forum. If you tried and the site failed, please try again using this simpler voting site.

More comments from voters…

  • “I voted. IT was a great site! A lot of really COOL stuff folks are doing. (They wouldn’t let me just vote for FPF – I tried! They REQUIRED I select three other orgz. So, of course I got sucked into investigating carefully the merits of each of the other props!! I actually downloaded 2 proposals from organizations from the site as a template to help me with mine that I’m writing!” -Rolla, innercity Baltimore school teacher
  • “I support Front Porch Forum because it brings local neighborhoods together. It allows people to communicate with their fellow neighbors quickly and conveniently.” -Tom in Vermont
  • “I’ve connected and been connected to such vital information for my city and neighborhood.” -Lisa speaking about Front Porch Forum in Vermont

Please vote and ask other to vote as well.

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About Blog

Ghost of Midnight is an online journal about fostering community within neighborhoods, with a special focus on Front Porch Forum (FPF). My wife, Valerie, and I founded FPF in 2006... read more

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