Thanks Padma! Glad to see you making the most of Front Porch Forum.
Front Porch Forum is hiring! We are seeking a Ruby on Rails Developer to join our team. This position is full-time and based in Burlington, Vermont. Be part of a world-class team of software engineers, and help us fulfill our community-building mission. Check out the details and apply here.
Iran’s “Blogfather,” Hossein Derakhshan, in a recent interview on the NiemanStoryboard…
“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.”
Unlike some other social media platforms, Front Porch Forum doesn’t aim to lure people in and hold their attention 24/7. FPF, for many Vermonters, is a 10-minute-a-day habit that leads to more face-to-face conversations with neighbors… and to friendlier, more informed, and more resilient local communities. Hyperlinks in FPF postings are an important part of that.
Neighbors across the state turn to their local FPF for recommendations on who to turn to when they need help and to support local entrepreneurs.
“Thank You for the Seamstress Reco’s! This forum is the best! Donna from SSE wins by popular demand. Will be sure to tell her of her overwhelming popularity when I see her.”
• Kate in Waterbury
“I’d like to offer a recommendation for Casey and her eggs. I’ve been buying them for a couple of months and they are tasty and fresh. Fun too as some are light blue shells… help support a local family!”
• Bets in Barre
“When we were looking for a carpenter/handyman/painter I looked here on Front Porch Forum and found recommendations for Jeremiah. Thank you, FPF, because he is great!”
• Martha in Shelburne
“I want to thank you so much for the work that FPF does. It connects communities in such an organic way. As a new homeowner I would be up a creek without it. Professionally I can cite it as a reason for my growth.”
• R.J. in Middlebury
New homeowner? Consider posting in your neighborhood FPF for answers you need.
“My successful, mostly Montpelier-based, business has been given a tremendous boost by Front Porch Forum…just a few ads, and many recommendations and referrals later, I can say that it works well for many things, in many ways. Please support FPF if you can…just use this link: https://frontporchforum.com/supporting-members”
• Todd in Montpelier
Have a small business? Use the FPF Business Directory and start posting to your neighbors!
It’s heartening to see local folks in Westford using their FPF to promote their new “Neighbor to Neighbor” program; organizing local in-person conversation of challenging topics…
“Bring a dish to share at potluck talks designed to build bridges between neighbors while talking about issues of importance to us as Vermonters. The first talk will focus on migrant workers on Vermont farms. This issue has been in the news recently and, as a farming community, is important to our town.”
• Fred in Westford
Would something like this work in your town? Give it a shot! Post on Front Porch Forum.
“It is my privilege to advise fruit tree owners in the time honored ability to further their orchards’ health and fertility. Thanks to FPF for bringing my neighbors insights to my attention and giving me a chance to advertise my own expertise. Please contribute to this our medium by giving to https://frontporchforum.com/supporting-members.”
• Padma in Middlesex
Thanks Padma! Glad to see you making the most of Front Porch Forum.
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