Ghost of Midnight

Richard Millington really nails it on FeverBee today…

People want to feel a sense of togetherness. It’s easy to hop aboard a short-term opportunity to feel good. There is nothing to lose. You trade a few hours with a broom for a sense of achievement and togetherness. There is no social or physical risk there.

Compare this with the Turkish community in London that banded together and drove the rioters away.

The difference, as you can probably guess, is social capital. Not just bridging social capital, but bonding social capital. The London Turkish group feels a strong sense of community. They’re a unique group in a different environment. They have strong social ties. They trusted each other. They came out for each other.

Whilst other business owners bemoaned the lack of police presence and watched their businesses get ransacked, the Turkish business owners made calls and saved their livelihoods…

Front Porch Forum helps people build social capital with their neighbors.  This starts when folks post and read dozens, then hundreds, of simple messages among neighbors about everyday life… lost pets, babysitter leads, car break-ins, plumber recommendations, and more.  This type of online exchange leads to lots of face-to-face interactions over months.  This is the slow accumulation of real social capital among neighbors… sharing news, helping each other, and more.  Millington goes on…

Social capital takes time to build. It needs to be carefully nurtured. It requires spending time introducing people to each other, encouraging people to interact, hosting events/activities, creating a shared history and building genuine friendships…

If you want people to take a few easy actions, then a good trigger is all you need. Most viral waves that sweep across the internet are built upon a strong trigger. If you want people to band together to do something that’s hard, risky and meaningful, you need social capital. That takes far more time and effort.