Category Archives: In the News

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.

Talking “Good Web” with Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at UMass Amherst

“How did Vermont’s favorite civic social network turn into a climate disaster response network overnight? Michael Wood-Lewis Tells Us About His Local Good Web”

Producer Mike Sugarman joined Michael Wood-Lewis in the Front Porch Forum office in Burlington to provide an “inside look at how Vermont’s favorite civic social network runs.”

The episode mentions the Seven Days article “Talk of the Towns: Neighbors Seek Plumbers, Lost Pets and Community on Front Porch Forum” as well as forthcoming research from two-time Reimagining guest Talia Stroud for New_ Public.

Michael talks about why Front Porch Forum works in Vermont (as opposed to, say, a suburb of Phoenix), what it means to be a Vermont Public Benefit Corporation, and helping communities to build resilience. “Front Porch Forum is in the business of … increasing social capital among neighbors, increasing the vibrancy of the local Main Street businesses, increasing the vitality of the local nonprofit sector, increasing, improving involvement with local democracy.”

Listen to the full (and rather inspiring) conversation with Mike and Michael here.