Category Archives: Community Building

On real friends, tools, networks and communities

Posted on Saturday, September 15, 2007 by • 1 comment

MediaVidea offers an interesting take on social networking sites today…

Recent research done in England suggests that the number of close friends you have is mostly a result of your face-to-face interactions in the real world.

Researchers at the Sheffield Hallam University say that your online friendships on social networking sites such as Orkut, Facebook, Myspace, Hi5 and others are ‘shallow’ in nature.

Researchers got more than 200 people to fill in questionnaires and found that most of respondents had around 5 close friends and many (90%) said their close friends were results of face-to-face meetings.

So, it seems that soliciting and clicking friend request on social sites is nothing but an ego trip.

He also writes about the difference between online tools, networks and communities.

There has a been a lot of debate online about communities and networks and many, including startups riding the web 2.0 wave have run into the habit of claiming that their startup is a community. VCs are also prone to this community fever.

So, it is important to note what Joshua Schachter of del.icio.us said about the pioneering social bookmarking site, a site that I think has more value than social news sites such as Digg, for great archival and research uses.

Joshua has said, Del.icio.us is a tool, not a community.’

This is very important. Most online services are first tools and the community of people who got together while using the service, comes later on.

Joshua Porter of Bokardo advocates a focus on ‘personal value over anything else’.

Differencing between communities and networks, Chloe Stromberg from Forrester Research says that ‘while communities are bound by emotion and passion, networks are simply communication links between people who have something in common.’

Interesting to mull over. I think Front Porch Forum is used as a tool by some (receive and spread information), a network for others (e.g., need 20 people to sign a petition to get a stop sign installed), and a community of neighbors for most. Many report that their FPF neighborhood forum has helped created a neighborhood environment where they can more easily establish and maintain genuine friendships.

Geese Going North

Posted on Tuesday, September 11, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Posted by Wendy in one of the FPF Winooski neighborhood forums this evening…

Hello neighbors. Its hard to believe that the night is slipping in on us sooner than later and the temperatures have grown cooler. I fight to keep the windows open as long as possible. One- because I appreciate the fresh air. Two- because winter isn’t far off and we’ll be holed up indoors. Unless you’re a snow sportsman. I meant to bring in my houseplants on Sunday but it rained. Decided it would do them good to stay out another week.

My parents moved to Essex Center in August. A year ago my dad was diagnosed with ALS. My sister bought a home and built an apartment unto it. She and I take turns putting my father to bed at night. There just aren’t enough LNAs in the VNA Hospice program to work evening shifts. Dad can no longer talk or walk or even support his own head. It makes you wake up and take notice of simple things you take for granted. Like being able to scratch an itch on your nose or say thank you or eat ice cream. We don’t know how long he’ll be with us. But each day on this earth, I consider a gift. Because each day he is alive, I can show him how much I love him.

I’ve got daffodil bulbs we salvaged from the old home. Need to put them out soon. Dad was the one who loved gardening. He misses working the soil. Weeding. Sharing the harvest. I’m the only one out of five kids who makes the effort to garden. Such as it is.

Days grow shorter and the geese are headed north. Sometimes it good just be able to acknowledge that.

Thank you, Wendy.

Neighbors watching out for each other

Posted on Monday, September 10, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Earlier today we saw on the ONE Central Neighborhood Forum in Burlington’s Old North End…

My bike with kids tag-a-long and kids helmet were stolen yesterday from in front of the Multi-Generational Center on N. Winooski yesterday at 4:40. It was a dark green trek “ladies” knobby tired bike and a dark green alley cat shadow tag-a-long. The helmet was red with cars on it. A guy was seen riding south on it. If you know anything call. Thank.

And now this evening the beginning of a happy ending…

I found a guy with my bike today. I left the guy but took the bike. He gave it back very easily and said he was “borrowing” it from someone else. Unfortunately the tag along was no longer tagging along with it. (Hey “John” If you are reading this please ask the guy you borrowed my bike from to let you borrow the bike that was attached to it and get it back to me…) Thanks to the Front Porch Forum posting, a friend was able to recognize the helmet by her dumpster as the one that was stolen with the bikes, and so we got that back too! I suppose there is a moral in here somewhere. 1 bike and helmet back in my possession. 1 dark green alley cat shadow tag-a-long still out there in the dark somewhere.

This whole incident stinks! But I love to see neighbors helping neighbors.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, Melissa just weighed in too, from a few blocks away…

On Saturday Sept. 8th mine and my neighbors bikes were stolen right out of the back yard right in the middle of the afternoon in broad daylight.
-Mine is a purple & silver Road master women’s bike. Also has (Designed for women) printed on the side of the seat. Another clue that it is mine is that the brakes do not work.
-My neighbors bike is a maroon mountain bike.
These bikes may have been abandoned together. If you see them please call me. Thank you very much.

UPDATE 2: More success on the first theft, from Meghan…

So, because of the posting about the stolen bikes on Front Porch Forum everything got returned.  The tag-along bike was found in a dumpster on Grant st.   when J read the post she knew to call me and tell me she had found it. I’m just glad the joy-riding bike thief lives in my neighborhood and discarded the parts he didn’t need within my FPF reading area!

Helping Neighbors Connect

Posted on Sunday, September 9, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

I was chatting with a local university professor today when he said something like “I’m hearing about Front Porch Forum nearly everyday all over town.” With 130 local neighborhood forums each having their own conversations, that’s a lot of fodder. It’s no wonder that FPF comes up at his faculty meetings, student office hours, cocktail parties, on the sidewalk in his own neighborhood, etc.

Not having a dot.com focus, he summarized FPF’s contribution as opening a community conversation in each neighborhood in the region, attracting a critical mass of neighbors to join in, keeping the tone civil and constructive in each one, and sustaining it all over time. No mean feat. Nothing about “citizen journalism,” “online social networking,” or “local search”… just meeting a real and largely unmet need… helping neighbors connect and build community.

National Neighborhood Day Sept. 16

Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Did you know that September 16, 2007 is National Neighborhood Day? I had an interesting discussion with the founder of this effort the other day, Lorne Adrain.

MISSION
National Neighborhood Day inspires, builds, and sustains the neighborhood relationships that provide the foundation for civic action and the building of stronger, more caring and effective communities.

VISION
National Neighborhood Day was established as an annual day to recognize and reinforce the relationships that are the fabric of our communities. It is a day of simple gatherings of neighbors to re-kindle friendships; welcome new neighbors; catch up on each others’ families, interests and needs; and share food, fellowship and fun.

The ties that unite a neighborhood help us better tackle and enjoy the myriad of challenges and opportunities we face. The simple goal of National Neighborhood Day is to bring neighbors together and to help enhance neighborhood connections. Neighbors knowing neighbors improves neighborhood connections; connected neighborhoods lead to more effective communities; effective communities strengthen our nation as a whole. This ripple effect from our own neighborhoods to the larger world outside is what Neighborhood Day promotes.

So do something to celebrate and enhance your neighborhood on September 16.  If you live in our service area, use Front Porch Forum to organize things.

Broken Window, Curious Neighbor and FPF

Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

On Sept. 3, Front Porch Forum member Rob posted on the ONE West Neighborhood Forum…

A few nights ago, maybe 3 or 4 days back, at about 4am, there was a loud noise of breaking glass. It sounded like a storefront window had shattered. It was near the corner of North Street and Park Street. Police were called, 3 cruisers responded and they were parked the wrong way on Park Street while the scene was investigated — did anyone ever hear about what happened?

Now today (Sept. 5) he writes again…

Thanks to any and all who responded to my request.  I am sure there have been several incidents of broken glass in the neighborhood recently.  The definitive reply to my specific question came from Andi Higbee of the Burlington PD, who told me: “it was a burglary into Pete’s Ice Cream.  We apprehended 2 people and they were both charged.” Thanks to Lt. Higbee for the information from BPD. And thanks to my FPF neighbors!

This is the everyday low-key kind of thing that makes Front Porch Forum work for so many people.  Not only did Rob get his answer, but he connected with several nearby neighbors who he probably didn’t previously know, AND hundreds of FPF members in the neighborhood were informed of the crime and police work.

“Jumpstart your Neighborhood” Class

Posted on Wednesday, September 5, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

I’ll be leading a session called Jumpstart your Neighborhood as part of the annual HealthSource Community Education Series organized by Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont.

Wednesday, September 19, 7 – 8 p.m.
Jumpstart Your Neighborhood
Michael Wood-Lewis
Co-Founder Front Porch Forum

Common sense and a growing body of research tell us that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and utilities. Front Porch Forum, a new online service, is helping people in Chittenden County build community at the neighborhood level. Learn the secrets of successful neighborhoods and jumpstart your neighborhood forum into gear. Plenty of time for questions.

This series is free and intended for the general public. Pre-registration is required… call 802-847-2278 (location within Chittenden County, Vermont, and directions provided when you call).

Also, I’ll be leading a workshop (Virtual Neighborhood: Building Local Community Online) at Orton Family Foundation’s CommunityMatters07 conference on Burlington’s waterfront Oct. 23. I just heard that people are registering now, so it looks like it should be a good turnout for this national event.

I’m looking forward to both sessions and encourage those with valuable experience, basic and advanced questions, and good ideas to come and share.

Front Porch Forum’s 1st Birthday

Posted on Tuesday, September 4, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Hard to believe that Front Porch Forum was launched one year ago this month! The response to this local start-up (focused on its initial pilot area of greater Burlington, VT) has been wonderful and overwhelming. What a privilege to work on this effort with the likes of…

  • More than 6,000 local households who subscribe across 130 local neighborhood forums! And hundreds more who sign up each month.
  • About 250 FPF neighborhood volunteers who help recruit neighbors and stimulate conversation.
  • Nearly 200 members who have submitted testimonials.
  • About 80 members who have made voluntary subscription payments.
  • More than 140 local public officials who each participate within his/her jurisdiction
  • A growing list of local advertisers.
  • Dozens of local media outlets that have reported about FPF.
  • Many organizations that have recognized FPF (and all involved) with awards.
  • Loads of folks who read and comment on our blog about building community within neighborhoods.
  • And several great collaborators.

Moving forward, our goals are simple and challenging…

  1. Strengthen each local neighborhood forum… more neighbors on board, more discussion.
  2. Generate sufficient revenue.
  3. Make improvements to FPF based on member feedback.
  4. Expand the service to other areas… more than 100 other communities on our waiting list.

So thanks to each FPF member! And please post messages to your neighborhood forum and encourage those around you to sign up at FrontPorchForum.com Here comes autumn! -Michael and Valerie

Neighbors Rally together to Fight Crime

Posted on Sunday, September 2, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Matt Ryan of the Burlington Free Press yesterday covered a troubling story that’s been a hot topic of conversation on the Westford Neighborhood Forum for some time…

Harmony Schutt and her neighbors on Osgood Hill Road in Westford are fed up with theft.

The thieves, whom victims identify as neighborhood teens, break into cars and homes to steal mostly beer, gas and loose change, but the petty crimes are costing homeowners more than just stolen property…

Schutt lives alone and said her house has been broken into six times this summer. Schutt’s house is hidden from the road behind a row of trees, which makes it an easy target, Schutt said. The most recent break-in occurred Aug. 22 when thieves broke her sliding glass door to get in. The door will cost between $650 and $850 to fix, Schutt said. Thieves have cut holes in screens to unlock windows and have stolen wine, beer, cash and condoms. She called Vermont State Police and recently installed a surveillance camera to deter criminals.

The police “say they can’t do anything, so I’m hoping to catch them on that little camera,” Schutt said.

Local victims are turning to other means…

A few neighbors had posted signs in their yards asking for stolen items to be returned. One sign, nailed to a telephone pole, read, “Two 18-packs of beer — $35. Money in truck — $17. Look on thieves faces when caught — priceless.”

Rose Elder, 52, said thieves stole a cooler of beer from her son’s truck in her driveway and have siphoned gas from her car.

“They steal just the easy stuff that they can take,” Elder said. Warren Oalican, who lives next door to Elder and across the road from Schutt, responded to a message Schutt posted on Front Porch Forum, an online site where neighbors can share information. Oalican, 38, said he’s been trying to organize his neighbors to stop theft.

“We’ve been here three years, and ever since we moved in, I was aware there was a crime problem,” Oalican said, citing theft, loitering and underage drinking. “It’s been really bad in the past three or four months.” He said he had not had anything stolen.

Oalican, who lives with his wife, 2-year-old son and 4-month old daughter, said he worries about the potential for homeowners and criminals to get into violent confrontations.

“I don’t care why you broke into my house, you might as well be after my kids,” Oalican said. “I don’t want people to get hurt.”

UPDATE:  Seven Days reported on this story this week too…

The irony is that locals believe they know exactly who is committing the crimes — the neighborhood email listserv, Front Porch Forum, has been abuzz with speculation.

Global Use of Neighborhood Forum

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2007 by • Comments are off for this post

Rebecca of the Five Sisters Neighborhood Forum chimes in today…

BTW, thanks for all your work on this forum. I do a lot of travel in my job, and it’s fun to be out of the country, often in the third world, tracking down an “internet cafe” – and I use that term lightly for some of the places I’ve been – and reading news or drama from the neighborhood.

Interesting to think of Front Porch Forum, the most local of online services, being used in the global way.

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

Search the Blog

Yearly Archives

Post Categories