“The decline of the web in favor of social media entails grim consequences. Hyperlinks were the founding principle of the web; it secured a diversity, nonlinearity, decentralization and interactivity, which made the web so powerful. But social media’s very philosophy and monetization strategy, or the stream, cannot be friendly to hyperlinks, since they do not want their users to leave their space. This new environment, in addition to the currently dominant algorithms, which favors popularity and now-ness rather than diversity and quality, is worse than television in its potential damage to representative democratic societies, where majority is supposed to take informed decisions without jeopardizing minorities. The rise of identity politics and intolerance for diversity is directly linked to the current form of the internet. This is the deepest shock of this transition to me since my release. This shift from what I call books-internet to TV-internet.”
It’s heartening to see local folks in Westford using their 
Co-Founder, Michael Wood-Lewis notes “we couldn’t be happier about the impact FPF has had across Vermont. Once people have an easy and safe way to communicate with neighbors, they do! And that simple act adds up. The cumulative impact is huge… after months of FPF, people often report feeling more connected to neighbors, more tuned in to local goings on, and more a part of their community. And in many cases, people then become more active… organizing a group yard sale, mentoring a local kid, volunteering for a park clean-up, voting on election day, and, most recently, helping each other during Blizzard Stella. That’s what 
“Shoveling for a Cause”, picked up by the Burlington Free Press and in turn by the Weather Channel, began with a 
“Thanks to lots of support throughout our community, well over 100 people attended the “No Strings Marionettes” puppet show in Hyde Park! The Hyde Park Community Circle (HPCC) received support from lots of individuals, businesses and organizations (including 
“Thank you to the Snowblower Angel who was walking with their snowblower Tuesday night assisting their neighbors. I was out shoveling for the third time and your help was greatly appreciated.” • Carmen in Burlington
“From a security camera I just saw someone shoveling out our front sidewalk and deck/steps, which were buried under 26″ plus of snow. That person was our good neighbor who didn’t want my wife to shovel as I just got out of the hospital and can’t shovel.” • Sam in Burlington
“Thanks to 6 teens who came to our assistance with snow shoveling at our home. They were eager, very polite, and dug right in. When offered payment, they refused. When offered pizza, they refused. Our hearts are full of thanks for these young men.” • Bob in Bristol
Across the state, members expressed their appreciation for 