Ghost of Midnight

Washington Post features Front Porch Forum Impact in Vermont

Check out the new article in the Washington Post: “The friendliest social network you’ve never heard of.”

The coverage stems from a member survey (thanks to the over 13,000 who participated last year!) and report produced by New_ Public, a nonprofit research and development lab that aims to create healthy digital public spaces for people to connect and thrive. Will Oremus, a reporter at the Washington Post, was intrigued by their report and newsletter about Front Porch Forum. I had the chance to talk with him at length about the history and purpose behind FPF. And, we offered him temporary access to a few Forums and put him in touch with several members. 

Oremus notes, “New research from the nonprofit New_ Public finds Front Porch Forum is one of the few online spaces in America that leaves its users feeling more informed, more civically engaged and more connected to their neighbors, rather than less so. What’s more, its users seem to genuinely like it.” 

Here are some of the key highlights of the membership survey:

• 97% of members find FPF valuable for their community
• 93% of members find FPF useful personally and for their family
• 80% of members feel that people treat each other humanely on FPF 
• 85% of FPF members frequently turn to their Forums for local news 
• 80% of FPF members indicate they are more informed about local issues thanks to FPF
• 78% of members see FPF as a reliable source of information

The credit for these accolades deserve to be attributed to those who are sharing information. It’s FPF members who are engaged. It is the meetings, chicken eggs, library activities, baby strollers, and electric knife sharpeners of Vermonters that are at the heart and soul of this platform. For that, Valerie and I, and the whole team at FPF, are grateful.