People post items on Front Porch Forum across a wide variety of topics. Here are some of the headlines from one day (Feb. 1, 2008)… just to show a random cross-section…
(And you can read more about Front Porch Forum on our blog.)
The Planning Commissioners Journal blogs today that…
Free, new media have empowered neighborhood groups tremendously. A decade ago, anyone wanting to oppose a rezoning or a development had to go door to door or make scores of phone calls to get people to meetings. Time and distance greatly constrained what people could accomplish.
But now an increasing number of neighborhood groups are using tools like Yahoo or Google groups, which allow e-mail messages to go out instantly to group members — and only to group members — so quickly that neighborhoods are now as agile as their industry opponents. Neighborhoods are also using free blogs to give them a public face and to archive public documents.
I think this new “Army of Davids” power is very apparent in Greensboro, where developers have lost recent rezoning battles (or given up before they started) in response to neighborhood pressure. It looks like they’re going to lose a few more.”
— David Wharton, “And They’re Getting More Organized All the Time” (Dec. 4, 2007, on his A Little Urbanity blog about living in the middle of Greensboro, North Carolina)
People put Front Porch Forum to use in this way too… dozens of times in the past year or two.
When my wife, Valerie, and I created Front Porch Forum a year and a half ago, we had a simple mission in mind… to help neighbors get to know each other better and foster the sense of community at a very local level. We haven’t tried to dictate what people write about… we just wanted folks to sign up and put this free service to work. And they do!
So we didn’t know what to expect with our first real experience with an election cycle. Wow! Front Porch Forum has been awash with comments, announcements, endorsements, analysis, opinions and more for the past month or two. Here are some numbers (rough estimates)…
Moran Plant Redevelopment Proposal (City’s pitch)
Burlington City Council Races
Chittenden County School Board Races
Presidential Primaries
Lots of (mostly) great discussion. Many people have told me that they are glad to hear their neighbor’s views on these matters. Others though have said that they are looking forward to getting this Town Meeting Day behind us… soon enough!
I guess Front Porch Forum has arrived… we’re now on YouTube!
Special thanks to CCTV Channel 17 (Meghan O’Rourke, Sam Mayfield and Lauren-Glenn Davitian) and the dozens of local folks who appear in the clip.
Our car needed some work today and our neighborhood mechanic had time and fit us right into his schedule… much appreciated. He even helped us swap vehicles around to save us time and hassle (a very complex operation involving multiple pre-schoolers, snowsuits and carseats).
I was pleasantly surprised when he asked me how “that internet thing” was going. Gary is an excellent mechanic, but he has little interest in the online universe. I thought he was just being friendly and I was impressed that he remembered my work with Front Porch Forum.
He went on to volunteer that he had just had a business meeting yesterday and declined various advertising options because “we get our new customers through Front Porch Forum.” Oh!
He ran one small ad months ago on FPF and occasionally is recommended by a neighbor on an individual FPF neighborhood forum… not a lot of activity from my perspective. But he went on to say that he gets at least one customer/week who mentions Front Porch Forum! And Gary’s shop is the kind of place that earns repeat customers for years and years.
I haven’t kept up with all the great stories and tidbits flowing from the FPF neighborhood forums lately. I like this one from Carol in Burlington that she titled Front Porch Forum Rocks!
I want to thank people in the Old North End about the advice on where to go sledding. The hill where the bike path starts behind Oak Street is the best. I flew down it twice and about to take some kids out to do it again. I’ve never felt so free 🙂 I’m flying!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks everyone
I’m thrilled by the fact that Front Porch Forum reaches well beyond the typical Web 2.0 demographic. We get folks of all stripes putting FPF to good use. Here’s a posting today from a subscriber in a South Burlington neighborhood forum.
I just joined this neighborhood forum today after meaning to do it for a long time. I hope to meet more of my neighbors. I’ve lived [in the neighborhood] for about 30 years, but people come and go on my street. I think there are only 4 of us who have lived here this long. Now that my kids are grown and moved away it’s not so easy to get to know the neighbors!
It is interesting that when I signed up I saw a person listed as an FPF Neighborhood Volunteer is my daughter’s best friend!
Front Porch Forum sees plenty of “seeking babysitter” and “lost cat” postings among nearby neighbors, but we also see something new and different everyday. Here’s today’s entry, posted by Marisha on The Quarry Neighborhood Forum in Burlington’s South End…
Posting this from Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic where the Burlington-based non-profit Vermont Institute on the Caribbean (VIC) is working to connect Vermont and Puerto Plata communities through educational and cultural programs and exchange. The VIC/BALL Vermont/Dominican Republic Baseball Cultural Exchange last summer was a great success; and last month teachers from Barnes and Champlain schools spent a week working with teachers here to introduce the Healthy Neighborhoods Healthy Kids curriculum in sustainable education…
On behalf of VIC I’m entering this raffle with hope that if we win the prize from KidsSurplus we’ll be able to send $50 worth of kids stuff to the schools we’re working with here in Puerto Plata.
Many thanks to FPF for this opportunity and for your great community connections. It’s great to stay in touch with folks back home!
Neighbors have lots to say across Chittenden County, VT, as seen on the 130 neighborhood forums hosted by Front Porch Forum. Here are sample headlines from the past week…
• 2008 Trees for Local Communities Grant Announced
• 3rd Annual Friends of WHS Calcutta Feb. 17
• AFTERSCHOOL CARE OPENING
• Alternative Teacher Certification Feb. 19
• Another Neighbor Joins Forum
• ANR Solid Waste Report Available
• Apartments at Mt Philo Inn
• Appletree Development Meeting Jan. 27
• APPLETREE POINT DEVELOPMENT ISSUES
• Appletree Point development scale model
• Baby formula offered
• Babysitter available
• babysitting mingler at UVM
• Babysitting Services Available
• Backhoe and Sugaring Resource
• Backhoe operator recommended
• Barnes Basketball Volunteer Clarification
• Beatiful home for rent
• BELTLINE INTERSECTION INFORMATION
• Beltline intersection question
• Big Chili Republic Delivery
• Bill McKibben community comments
• BOGGLE OR SCRABBLE, ANYONE?
• Boston Lodging Recommended
• Breast and Cervical Cancer Screening
• Broadband Contact Person
• BT problems and appreciation
• Burlington Permaculture – Winter Workshop Series
• Burlington school tours
• Burlington Telecom Cable TV Update
• Burlington Telecom Experience
• BURLINGTONIANS WANTED FOR ORAL HISTORIES
• Business of Being Born Feb. 15
• Canada goose sighting?
• car for sale
• Car Repair/Inspection recommendations?
• Car Share Open House Feb. 13
• Cats in Need
• cats seeking temporary home
• Champlain School Equal Exchange Fundraiser
• Clean-up brigade Appreciation
• Climate Policy Workshop Feb. 1
• Closing the high school – Question
• Community Sing-Along Feb. 3
• Condo for Sale
• Contractor Recommended
• Dem. meeting Feb. 11
• Development on Appletree Point – Meeting Jan. 27
• different perpective on Appletree development prop…
• Dion St Speed
• EJ Prudential Comm. Budget Meeting Schedule Change…
• Equal Exchange Fundraiser for Champlain School
• Events and Classes at Heineberg Center
• Events at your Library
• Eye Doctor Recommended
• Family History Open House Feb. 9
• Feb. 18 – Full Day of School (CCSU)
• Females in sports day Feb. 2
• Fishing Access Dock Proposal – last opportunity fo…
• Five sisters single family house for rent
• Forest Walk Feb. 2
• Former Vermonter Seeking Mold-free Housing
• Forum Casting Call Feb. 1
• Forum Discussion, School, Downtown, Taxes
• FORUM FEEDBACK
• Forum Question
• Found Cat is Male not Female – oops
• Found Laundry baskets… yours?
• Fox in the Quarry
• Free Community Science Night at ECHO Feb. 6
• Free Radon Test Kits
• Garbage Brigade Rain Date
• Garbage Brigade Strikes Again – Jan. 30
• Girls’ Survey critique
• graffiti for Moran Plant
• great APARTMENT for rent – March or April
• Group yard sale support
• Have you used Peregrine Construction?
• Health Care Event On Channel 15 Again
• Heineberg Center Annual Meeting Feb. 6
• High Speed Internet Agreement
• Historic Markers for Houses
• Hobby-size evaporator for sale
• Home for Rent across Park
• Home for rent at 96 Linden Terrace
• Homeownership Discussion Feb. 5
• House For Sale
• House for Sale and Moving Sale
• Howard Coffin on VT Civil War Sites Jan. 30
• I Ain’t Marching Anymore Concert
• Impact of Proposed Senior Housing Development
• Internet Safety for Children Jan. 29
• Invitation to Join Website Discovery Network
• Jericho Broadband Plight
• Jericho School Board position open
• Kenmore Electric Laundry Center For Sale – Great S…
• Local Fiber Optic Background
• Local nonprofit Seeks Temporary Hire
• logging with draft horses needed
• long windedness
• LOOKING FOR BARNES SCHOOL MEMORABILIA
• Looking for Christmas decorations
• Looking for sap buckets
• LOOKING FOR THINGS AUSTRALIAN
• Looking for Work Nearby?
• loose dog on crescent road
• Mail Tampering
• mattress for sale
• MEET APPOINTEE POLICE CHIEF MICHAEL SCHIRLING
• Mercy Connections Spring Calendar
• modeling workshop Feb. 3
• moran plant graffiti
• moran plant proposal
• Moran Plant Proposal – Alternative View
• Moran Plant Proposal Objections
• Moran Redevelopment Comments
• More about Appletree Point Housing Proposal
• More about Senior Housing Proposal
• More Dance Classes!
• More Forum Feedback
• More Neighbors Join Forum
• More on Minutes, Dock Proposal, FPF, etc.
• More on Senior Housing Proposal
• MUNI. PLAN AND ZONING ORD. GOVERN DEVELOPMENT
• National Girls and Women in Sports Day Feb. 2
• need a babysitter?
• Neighborhood Gathering Ideas
• Neighborhood Party Location Recommended
• Neighborhood Watch Comments
• New Business on Shelburne Road
• NEW DEVELOPMENT MEETING JAN. 2…
• New Local CarSharing Program to Launch
• New Neighbor Joins Forum
• New to Forum – Porch Theft
• North End Studio Events this Weekend
• O.N.E. Arts and Business Networking Event Jan. 31
• Opportunity for Young Writers
• Opportunity to Meet with New Police Chief
• Optometrist Recommended
• Owl Camped Out on Caroline St
• Painter Recommended
• Parents Night Out on Valentine’s Day
• Peace and Justice Center concert
• Penguin Plunge
• Peter the MusicMan for Preschoolers
• Phil Ochs Song Night March 7
• Phil Ochs Song Night!
• Photo Exhibit Opening Feb. 1
• Play about VT Murder Feb. 4
• Public Meeting Feb. 4
• Questions for future Chief?
• Recruiting for a study!
• Regarding Barnes B-ball Volunteers
• Remodeling Open House Invitation
• RESIDENTS MEETING JAN. 27
• Respecting opinions
• Richmond Pre-School Discussions
• Riddle me this Batman – School Questions
• Ride Offered to Boston
• Sap Buckets for Sale
• School Athletic Facilities Meetin Jan. 29
• School Board Opening – Petitions due Jan. 28
• School Bottle Drive Feb. 9
• School Budget – Proof in the pudding
• School Budget Comments
• School Facility Tours
• Seeking American Girl clothes
• Seeking Backhoe to Hire
• SEEKING BARNES MEMORABILIA CIRCA 1957
• Seeking Boston Lodging Suggestions
• Seeking Exterior Painter Recommenedations
• Seeking goat or sheep milk
• Seeking Home birth experience
• Seeking housecleaner recommendations
• Seeking ice skate sources
• Seeking interior painter recommendations
• Seeking large pots
• Seeking long-term lake iroquois rental
• Seeking lost dog
• Seeking Lost or Stolen iPod Touch
• Seeking Lost Wallet on Catherine St.
• Seeking missing stroller
• Seeking New Kitten
• Seeking Painter Recommendations
• Seeking Pellet Stove Advice
• Seeking plumber recommendations
• Seeking Responsible House and Pet-Sitter
• Seeking snowplow service recommendations
• Seeking tiger kitten
• Senior Housing Comment and Question
• Shameless Plug
• Sidewalk Plowing and mailboxes
• Sled Hockey game Feb. 3
• Sledhockey Competition Feb. 3
• SMUGGS DISCOUNT SUNDAYS
• Sneior Housing Proposal Comments
• Soup of the Week
• speaking for trees
• Speeding Comments
• Speeding Solution needed for Dion St.
• Staniford Neighborhood – elder housing
• Statewide Health Survey
• Stray Cat Question
• Sugaring Supplies
• summer job opportunity
• Support DREAM Kids at Franklin Square
• Support Group Forming
• taking sides
• Temporary Housing Needed
• Theft at Leddy Parking Lot
• Tools for sale
• Tour Burlington Schools
• Train table looking for new home
• Tribute Concert Feb. 2
• upcoming community events
• UVM baby sitter mingler
• vermont outdoors women -VOW January Newsletter
• Voluntary Simplicity Study Circle
• Volunteers Needed for Reading to End Racism
• Welcome to New Neighbors
• WESTFORD BROOMBALL TOURNAMENT
• Winooski LIVE! community TV show
• Winooski LIVE! February show
• Winooski School Budget
• Winooski Schools Comments
• Winooski Wednesday
• winter get together feedback
• Winter Get-together — Priced out of the market?
• Winter/Spring Drama Class Offered
• Yard Sale – Let’s Do it!!!!
• Yard Sale Comments
• Yard Sale Parking and Promotion
• Yard Sale Planning Party?
• Yes to Dion St. Speed Control
• Yes to Neighborhood Game Night
• Yes to Yard Sale
• Your AVON Products are Here
Philip Baruth has an excellent piece on VPR and his blog about Vermont libraries providing internet access for folks who couldn’t otherwise afford it. Read it here.
Front Porch Forum keeps access as open as possible… subscriptions are free and we focus on the low-end of the tech spectrum. In fact, a Burlington FPF member told me last year that he was homeless. He participated in FPF via the Fletcher Free Library. He used a free GMail account. He listed the intersection in the Old North End where he parked his car/home on wheel on his FPF account. Without the library he would have been shut out of this neighborhood conversation.
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