Citizen Journalism | Ghost of Midnight

Place Blog Data from New York Times

Posted on Sunday, August 10, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

Bob Tedeschi wrote in the New York Times (Aug. 10, 2008) about local news blogs and included some interesting data…

Baristanet.com [Montclair, N.J., and surrounding towns]:

Posts about five or six videos, articles or photos every weekday.

Debuted in early 2004 and now attracts 18,000 readers on peak days… and more than 82,000 monthly readers, or roughly twice the population of Montclair, and about three times the number of readers it had early last year.

The site has a full-time editor, Annette Batson, a full-time designer, and four part-time workers, [and] now consistently generates more than $10,000 in monthly profits.

Red Bank Green (www.redbankgreen.com) [Newark, NJ], started in 2006… attracts about 45,000 readers a month.

Hoboken411.com [Hoboken, NJ]… attracts more than 250,000 monthly visitors… readers click on “several million” pages monthly on his blog, founded in 2006, and have added more than 100,000 comments.

WestportNow.com [Westport, CT] started in 2003, has more than 40,000 monthly readers.

NewHavenIndependent.com [New Haven, CT], begun in 2005… has three full-time reporters and one part-time reporter, all paid for by $185,000 in grants, corporate sponsorships and private donations.

The Loop (GetInLoop.com) [Long Island, NY], a new hyperlocal site started last year… attracts more than 10,000 monthly visitors.

Launched in 2006, Front Porch Forum is a different model, but shares some things in common with these efforts. Our 10,000 subscribing households are local to our pilot area (greater Burlington, VT) and are about 20% of total households. These good folks supply nearly all of the writing (FPF employs no writers) and partake of our service every other day on average.

More on Old North End quality of life

Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

The depth of community running through Burlington’s Old North End is bubbling to the surface more and more these days. As discussed previously, a number of residents used Front Porch Forum to spark a discussion about drug dealing, public safety and overall quality of life issues. Some natural community organizers among them, channeled the energy evident on Front Porch Forum and organized a community meeting… held last night.

Here’s a report posted to FPF by State Rep. Christopher Pearson…

Tonight’s forum was well attended and I must admit the discussion left me a bit humbled. While I get frustrated with late night walk-by noise and we’ve been talking about fireworks waking us up late at night all too many in the Old North End live with drug deals, theft and more on a daily basis.

The message from [Police] Chief Schirling was loud and clear: they need our help. Even if you know the police could not make it to your street in time to stop the disturbance they are constantly building cases and monitoring our neighborhoods to figure out where their attention is most needed.

Burlington Police at 658-2700. You might also find their Citizen’s Guide to Reporting Crime helpful.

And John Briggs reported for the Burlington Free Press too…

Crime numbers are down, yet it doesn’t feel that way for many residents in Burlington’s Old North End this summer.

Worries about the quality of life in the neighborhood are nothing new, but the approach to a variety of issues at a well-attended community meeting Tuesday, from drug sales to noise, was more “What can we do?” rather than “How can we get them?” as it was just a few years ago.

That’s great… so good to hear that the tone was mostly positive and working toward solutions. This was our goal when we took the unusual steps of suspending the topic for a couple weeks on one of the FPF Old North End neighborhood forums… it had wandered away from being civil and constructive. Encouraging results.

We’re starting to see something similar happen in Winooski now through Front Porch Forum… civil and constructive conversation among neighbors (and local public officials).

UPDATE: The Free Press published my letter to the editor today… much appreciated…

Old North Enders engaged for solutions

We were thrilled to see that local residents were focused more on “What can we do?” rather than “How can we get them?” at the recent community meeting about crime (“Old North End worried about quality of life,” July 30).

We’re humbled that thousands of neighbors have used FrontPorchForum.com to engage in civil and constructive conversation online about these persistent challenges. And we’re also glad that so many people heeded the call to move the conversation offline and engage in face-to-face dialogue at community meetings.

On the whole, we see more people getting to know their neighbors and engaging in solving local problems — a hopeful sign for the Old North End and Burlington.

MICHAEL WOOD-LEWIS
Burlington
The writer is the co-founder of FrontPorchForum.com.

Hometown Daily Covers Front Porch Forum

Posted on Friday, July 4, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

Thanks to Sally Pollak who wrote an excellent feature article about Front Porch Forum for the Burlington Free Press yesterday.

Photo credit: Alison Redlich, Free Press

What do neighbors post about?

Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

People often ask… “what do the neighbors write about on Front Porch Forum?” Well, it’s challenging to boil it down to a simple list (although it would have to include missing cats and bikes). So here’s a batch of message headlines taken from the last week of postings on FPF’s 130 online neighborhood forums covering Chittenden County, VT…

City Launches New Website!
Another Neighbor Joins Forum
Curious about Private Investigation?
The Ramble July 26th!
Old Windows
Yard Sales June 21, Stolen Bikes
Seeking update on 144 North Union
Democrats Gathering June 21
Police presence
Please Return Plant
garage sale June 21-22
Abandoned Bike
Books on Tape
Traffic Concerns
Jonas Brothers tix wanted
Petra Cliffs day passes
Dogs on Leash in Gilbrook
Disturbing Incident Comment
Day Care Suggestion
Adaptive Sailing Open House June 22
Fisher Cat Question
Stolen Bike
Fresh Air Fund
NEW NORTH END YARD SALES JUNE 21
Seeking Roofer Recommendations
Cat Seeking Loving Home
Cat Seeking Home
Blow up balloons for July 4 parade and fireworks!
South End Farmer’s Market
landscaping/tree service recommended
Forum Publication Timing
SUMMER DAY CAMP
Questions for Bear Experts…
Sing Along June 30
Police and recent vandalism
Sing along
Vinyl Siding
looking for dog sitters
Wildlife Teams Forming
CARD GAMER SEEKING PLAYERS
Pick-Up Frisbee
Animal Shelter Fundraiser June 28
summer tennis update
reliable assistance available
Hot Days, Cool Books
Seeking Cat Sitter
Disappearing Plants
Regarding wreckless driving
Hinesburg Vermont Yankee meeting June 25
Nature Camp spaces available
Black Bear Expert
ride needed to Burlington
seeking tag-along bike
need a babysitter?
missing bike
ONE Farmers’ Market Opens June 24
Drop-In Music
Strange man
House Siding
Events at Your Library
Extra Car seats?
Treadmill for sale
Apartment or house-sitting needed for July-August
Seeking quilting lessons and doctor recommendation
Park at night
Traffic calming on town website
traffic safety: an addition to Bretts smart words
Entertainment Center for Sale
Local Meat for Sale
apartment needed
Help Garden at Boys and Girls Club
kids, police, eggs
Timely Traffic Forum!
Free couch near Young St
Looking for Temp Living Space
Seeking Lawn Mower Sharpening, Loaner
computer desk for sale
Australian Ballot
Champlain College Block Party Invitation
Real Estate Appraisal Questions
Seeking bike loans
Speed Enforcement and Traffic Calming Plan Update
Looking for exercise/spin bike
Burlington Permaculture Updates
Misdelivered package
Weekly Massage Special!
Seeking Diamond from Wedding Ring
Bike Rodeo and Round Up
Seeking Bricks
Race Data Collection Community Forum June 24
Missing Chicken?
Beach and fires
More theft in the ONE
free plants
Seeking Moving company recommendations
Looking for Swing set and Perennials
Seen: Blue and White Parakeet
Regarding Lawn Fertilization Concerns
Urgent: Temporary Home Needed for Cat!
City Website Feedback
Petra cliffs passes gone
Michael Franti/Spearhead ticket for sale
Condo for Rent
Valuable food information
looking for sod recommendations
local foods meeting – seeking farm land
Seeking kittens
Stray Cat – Yours?
Discussion of Budgets
Middle School Theatre Workshops July 21-25
Summer Photography Classes
Seeking Babysitter
City Liability for Storm Damage
Plant Thieves
Children
Seeking computer speakers
Massage School Needs People to Massage!
firewood for sale
bike theft
Free Storm Door
Interior Painter Needed June 29 or 30
moving company recommended
Town Meeting
Seeking tree service recommendations
Volunteers Needed for Senior Games June 28
Farm shares available
Refugee Resettlement Benefit June 29
277 East Allen Project
Traffic Calming Meeting TONIGHT
house for rent
Live Fire Training at UVM canceled
Push Mower Sharpening
Seeking Bike Loan
more on Siding
Summer Project Help Available
Dining Room Set for Sale
seeking Audiologist recommendations
Drug Concerns on Murray St
The Bagel is selling pizza
Five Sisters Teen Filmmaker Wins Top Prize
seeking Tree surgeon recommendation
Seeking Part-Time Administrative Assistant
Face Painter Wanted June 28
Rhubarb for concord grapes
Seeking to borrow water cooler June 28
Local Arts Festival September 7
Street Flooding Issue – Letter to Mayor
Bunk Beds for Sale
Need a house sitter?
Seeking Hiking Area Map
PC repair
McQueen hearing: Cronin report
Yard sale June 27-29
reel mower sharpening
Qigong
SPEED ENFORCEMENT
Two Dream horses for sale
Seeking Painters, Flooring, Movers Recommendations
Appraisal increase!
Carpentry Needed?
FPF History, success, and seeking furniture fix
FUN WITH GOOGLE MAPS
House for Rent in Hinesburg
stray cat
Farmer’s Market website
home cooking delivered
worms composting at South End Farmers Market
Catamount Health Expansions
Volunteers Needed for July 4 Run
seeking dolly loan, dryer offered
Yard Sale June 28-29
Bike theft advice
free dirt
Police Chief Reinstatement
Seeking House Cleaner, Mother’s helper recommendations
Green Lawn Mowing Available
seeking forwarding address…
Linnie’s Event, Murray Street Concerns
Tree Service Recommended
Seeking Tent, Recommending Movie
Seeking Raw Milk Source
Let’s brag about a local adult this time!
Childcare Opening
Teen Police Academy July 7-11
Nature Camps
seeking roofer recommendations, painting and grounds help
FARMERS MARKET WEDNESDAYS
Yard Sales June 28
Cancellation of fire training
Teen Seeking Summer Work
Ethan Allen Homestead offerings
Comcast expansion into Westford
volunteer opportunity June 28
Lake Monsters at Library June 27
July 4 celebration needs your help
Music Nights June 26-28
Library Programs
Neighborhood Garage Sale June 28
Australian Ballot and Town Meeting
Book Sale at Town Hall July 4
PLANT THIEVES
Seeking Rental
TV News Preference Survey
Babysitter, Pet-Sitter Available
New American Farmers Update
Hinesburg House for Rent, Shelburne Qigong
Tag Sale June 28
runaway dog?
Found Cat
FPF History, Restaurant Recommended
Exchange Students Seeking Housing
Garage Sale June 27-29
Found Trash barrel
Free Music and Movies at UVM Saturdays in July
Seeking Firewood Recommendations
joggers thank safe drivers
Melinda Moulton
Soccer Game
Speed Meetings
lumber delivery June 25
Restaurant Recommended More
Soccer Anyone?
North Ave. and 127 Slip Ramp Closure Meeting
seeking summer housing
red lily beetle
128/North Ave Ramp Mtg?
Updates on Siding; Benefits of FPF and Good Neighbors
volunteers needed june 30
Energy message from BED
Decriminalize Drugs
trash burning illegal inside or outside
seeking skin product
Little League Schedule; Lake Monsters Night June 28
Wedding Gown Available
Edwina Gateley Event July 11-12
House Sitter Available
RiverWalk Celebration June 27
tennis lessons
Free Film and Music Series in July
New Business: Big Help
slate, china cabinet offered
North St. 2 br. sublet
Seeking dogs for calendar
Seeking Lost Glasses
Seeking vehicle to buy
Seeking Stolen Bike
Car for Sale
4th of July celebration
Free Family Event on UVM campus
Film and Music Starting July 12
Seeking summer driving students
Neighbor Appreciation
Farmers’ Market list for June 27
Free Kids Toys
UVM grad getting acquainted
Host Families Needed
Half-off Tag Sale June 28
RT 127/North Ave intersection meeting
A Rave for Tommy’s Grill
Bug Repellent
Home Renovation – 47 Catherine
UVM film-music and seeking host families
UVM Summer Film and Music Series – FREE!
Avon Source
seeking host families
2nd Annual North Quarter 3rd of July Parade
Eager to commute
Cancellation of fire training comment
Seeking third housemate
New Farms for New Americans update
Seeking car tires, bike seat, roof coating
Seeking bathtub
House for sale – Open house June 29
Thai restaurant feedback
Massage Barter for help with Move
About Illegal Drugs
best seat in town july 3 fireworks
Obama Event
Winooski Online Survey
Robert and Gigi June 27
Seeking Housing for visiting authors
Communication Committee Meeting July 2
New Aikido Introductory Series
Looking for Apartment Cleaners
Register to vote
Free Film and Music Series
small tricycle in our yard
Documenting Ancient Roads in Milton July 2
Free Computer Storage Media
Thank You and Hunting for Accordion Players
Neighborhood living
Volunteer Needed for Huntington elder
variety of gadgets left on our doorknob
Seeking host families
Police Chief Hearing
Flynn Tour Opens South Burlington Gardens
Homeowners’ Assn. Dues Past Due
Seeking missing cat
Myrtle Street Avant Garden Update
Garage/Yard Sale June 28
Garage Sale June 28
AMBER ALERT – Please Help
Richmond 4th of July Needs You!
Neighbor Joins Forum
Summer Camps at Shelburne Art Center
Chief Back
Sing-Along and Town Meeting
Westford Recreation Summer Programs
Fireworks Safety Tips
PERSONAL ACTION AND GLOBAL CHANGE July 11-12
FLYNN TOUR OPENS SOUTH BURLINGTON GARDENS
Fourth of July Bike Parade
SEEKING LOST CAT – Bright St
Looking to get gravel hauled
Gubernatorial Campaign seeking Volunteers
Wanted: Woman who wanted Great Escape Ticket
UVM Engineering Students Demonstrate Hybrid Car
Gardener available
Huntington’s Disease Walk June 28
Garden Tour and Immigrant Farms
Seeking 2-bedroom apartment
Seeking feedback on possible Westford Park and Ride
Seeking Car for June 28
Apology – City Issues
Traffic Concerns on Laurel Hill
Ward One Commissioners Ask…
Free pool table
In response to drug dealers and courage
Drug addict stereotypes
Garden Tour
Seeking Chairperson for Road Committee
Bike the Lake for CF July 12-13
Trash and Recycling Schedule
CH17 PRODUCER TRAINING FREE
Seeking Missing Calico Cat
Drunken Noodle House
circus tickets for sale
camera for sale
Open House June 29
Neighborhood wildlife
Porch Sale/Give-Away June 29
Break-In on Pennington Dr
Looking for Tennis Partner
Avon Appreciation
Obama T-shirts available
FPF Tech Response
Any babysitters needed?
BIG HELP is HERE!
Fireworks… register to Vote
More Neighbors Join Forum
looking for roofers!
Another Neighbor/Babysitter Joins Forum
Roofer experience
seeking dog supplies
Seeking small tent to borrow
What happened to Huntington River last night?
Free Ice Cream Maker
Found Cat – Yours?
Seeking caregiver
BOOK SALE AT TOWN HALL JULY 4
Winooski Festival Appreciation
Flash Flood Follow Up
big yard sale July 5
looking to borrow a dolly
Pet Sitter Needed
Movies on the Green?
Tech Difficulties and Seeking Pet Sitter
Summer Host Families Needed!
Braun Juicer for Sale
Summer PRACTICAL HERBALISM class offering
Looking for sailboat rental
Need simple (?) chair repair – Help?

Dam Break unleashes Wall of Water in Richmond, VT

Posted on Saturday, June 28, 2008 by Michael • 1 comment

A posting today from Gary to his neighbors in the FPF Richmond East Neighborhood Forum…

Friday night around 7pm, I was at the junction of the Huntington Winooski Rivers, just playing in the water with my kids. All of the sudden, 4 people were on the Cochran Road bridge yelling and screaming at us frantically. We couldn’t really hear exactly what they were saying. A fisherman was nearby us.

All of the sudden the water, which was at our ankles all the way across, started rushing and getting deeper. In a matter of seconds it was a fierce and fast river with large logs floating by. It was surreal — I felt like I was in a movie and the “great flood” was beginning.

Luckily we were near the shore when it happened and we got out just in time or we would have been in serious trouble. The fisherman was a different story. I watched him try to get to the shore. The water level kept rising and soon it was up to his neck. I think he lost his pole and everything and was just trying to get to the shore. I was really worried and thinking what I would do if he went under. Finally he made it to the other side of the winooski, by the railroad tracks, and waved to us that he was OK.

Still, we were stuck on the wrong side of the Huntington, with all our stuff (and the path home) inaccessible. We waited about a half hour but it never let up. We had to forge a way to the Jonesville bridge and walk all the way around back to where our stuff was. On the way we saw a police officer who was responding to a call about the distressed fisherman. She told us that a dam had broke somewhere upstream. It must have been a big dam because even an hour after it hit, the water was still rushing and very high.

I never saw anything like this. I hope everyone upstream was OK. Does anyone know what happened? Where is the dam that broke? Where is all this water coming from?

UPDATE: A follow up posted by Tim today…

Gary – First of all, it’s great news to hear you and your family got away from the river safely the other night. We heard the firetrucks and police go down toward the Jonesville Store and heard on the scanner that they were looking for the fisherman. They thought they saw him get to the side safely but didn’t see him again so they had to keep looking. Apparently he’d made his way up to his vehicle by Wes White Hill Road and they saw him there. They were also talking about a big beaver dam having given away and the debris and water came rushing down the Huntington River. We happened to be coming back from Richmond, down Cochran Road, about an hour later and we also noticed how brown the water still was. Very scary stuff. At least everyone is safe.

Reporters turn to Front Porch Forum for leads

Posted on Sunday, June 22, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

Local reporters for traditional media outlets use Front Porch Forum frequently to find leads for news stories… makes sense… neighbors connect with neighbors about all sorts of goings on on their FPF neighborhood forum as a first step. Items often show up there first.

Here are a few recent examples…

Sustainable living in the suburbs, June 21, 2008
Plant thefts hit home, June 19, 2008
Facing Facts: Urban Gardeners, June 18, 2008
Westford meets to discuss end of Town Meetings, June 16, 2008

Another Hyperlocal “Flop”?

Posted on Wednesday, June 4, 2008 by Michael • 1 comment

The Wall Street Journal had some fun at the expense of the Washington Post today with this headline…

Big Daily’s ‘Hyperlocal’ Flop LoudounExtra.com Fails to Give Lift to Washington Post

Others jumped in… Outside.in CEO Mark Josephson and one of his backers, VC Fred Wilson.

Sharing Lessons of Front Porch Forum

Posted on Thursday, May 8, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

We’ve been invited to speak at many events lately. Here are some that we were honored to accept (2008)…

May 14: The World Wide Web Comes Home: How “Local Online” Is Changing Your Business at VBSR’s annual spring conference.
May 29: Fulfilling Vermont’s e-State Potential: Building Community in a “Connected Age” hosted by the Snelling Center.
June 18 Leading the Weekly and Community Newsroom: Connecting Neighborhoods Online at American Press Institute’s seminar series.
October 5-8: TBD at Rural Telecon ’08.

Social Capital Lesson for Journalists

Posted on Friday, May 2, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

Steve Yelvington has a thought-provoking piece on social capital today… I think his intended audience is old-school journalists. Coupled with Robert Putnam’s fascinating talk at the University of Vermont the other day, and my everyday exposure to Front Porch Forum, ideas are peculating for me!

FPF posts “Good News” Stories rejected by Media

Posted on Monday, April 14, 2008 by Michael • No comments yet

It seems that traditional media gets knocked every so often for just reporting “bad” news… crime, war, fatal accidents, political fights, etc. I seem to recall hearing that “good” news isn’t, in fact, “news.” I think another take on this is that each “good” news story tends to be interesting only to a small group of people.

“Teen works on Eagle Scout project” is not front page news for a city, but it is something worth knowing for that boy, his family and friends, his neighbors, and those among us who enjoy hearing of such things.

Front Porch Forum is used daily as a conveyor of good news (among other uses). So, instead of all these wonderful little gems floating by unseen, now many happy tales are shared among nearby neighbors… typically not earth shattering, but reaffirming nonetheless. Here’s one that just arrived from Kim in a corner of Burlington’s Old North End…

“i want to thank Front Porch Forum for my new tuxedo kitty, gypsy. i saw an email on FPF from the lovely woman who took in a stray ‘waif’ kitty, seeking someone to adopt her. i am the new proud mama to sweet little gypsy & we’ve already started dancing together. thanks, FPF folks and fabulous ONE neighbors. happiness avails.”

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