Local Online | Ghost of Midnight

What would you read if you moved to Cambodia?

Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

A #VT couple keeps a blog with this to-do list in the margin…

Quit our jobs

Get rid of our stuff

Rent out the house

Move to Cambodia

Make ourselves useful

Learn something new

I think they’ve checked off most of the list! Impressive. So you can imagine my surprise when I saw this snippet from a recent posting on their blog…

We do crave some familiarity at times. Calls to and from friends and family are always fun, recent photos of people at home are a treat, and emails with news of the mundane details of life in the U.S. make a lovely start to the day while sipping coffee on the balcony. I’ve slowly signed off lots of email lists that had no relevance to my life here, but I continue to read Jericho’s Front Porch Forum and occasionally peruse the Free Press or Seven Days online.

Odd as it may seem, we’ve heard from many expats who love to use FPF to keep up with goings-on back home.

Not all types of communications are equal

Posted on Sunday, November 14, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

Richard Millington wrote today on FeverBee…

Not all types of communications are equal. When you meet someone in person you form a deeper relationship with them than thousands of online interactions.

We’re increasingly seeing a hierarchy of contact. At the lowest levels members talk via contributing content which others read. It’s slow, thoughtful and not interactive.

At the higher levels are immediate response, real-time communication and stronger context (i.e. talking by IM is stronger than chat-rooms – you had to add that person to your instant messenger).

Members communicate in person.

Members communicate by phone.

Members communicate by voice-chat.

Members communicate in IM/SMS.

Members communicate in chat-rooms.

Members communicate by social networks.

Members communicate by forums.

Members communicate via Twitter.

Members communicate by blog posts/videos/UGC.

You do well when you try to get members communicating at the higher levels. Members form closer bonds and participation increases.

Front Porch Forum often starts with one person’s posting that is read by many. Then the fun begins… it sparks responses on FPF, as well as direct emails to the original author, phone calls, etc. And… highest on Richard’s list… that one posting leads to face to face conversation among neighbors on actual front porches (and sidewalks, country stores, playgrounds, etc.).

It takes a village…

Posted on Tuesday, November 9, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

Thanks to the thousands of local folks across 50 Vermont towns who make Front Porch Forum work with their participation, recruiting of friends, constructive feedback, and financial support. Through this year’s annual FPF supporting-member campaign, neighbors kicked in an amazing $18,000. These funds are already being plowed back into FPF to maintain, improve and expand our service in Vermont. Thank you!

For all who have asked, yes, we welcome contributions toward our 2010 $20k goal until Dec. 31…

http://frontporchforum.com/about/donate.php

Front Porch Forum
PO Box 64781
Burlington, VT 05406-4781

Paying it forward in South #BTV #VT

Posted on Monday, November 8, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

It’s a genuine privileged to witness some of the neighborliness that flows through Front Porch Forum. Here’s a note from Christine today in South Burlington to her neighborhood…

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the mysterious, yet wonderful, neighbor(s) who cleared the leaves from my lawn. I returned home to find a blessing. As many know, my back is on the mend and I am so very grateful for this help. This is an amazing neighborhood with an amazing spirit. Many, many thanks. I shall pay it forward when I am able.

Australians looking to connect with neighbors?

Posted on Friday, November 5, 2010 by Michael • 5 comments

What is it about Australia? We get requests frequently from folks down under asking about bringing Front Porch Forum to their shores. Here’s one from today…

Have you considered extending this concept overseas? A good story always travels well. By the way, I am an American and grew up in Detroit/Grosse Pointe, MI. We used to know all our neighbours back in the 60s & early 70s. I have been living in Australia for some 17 years now and even here I try to do this with my neighbours and always introduce myself to new arrivals, but with your inspiration I would like to take it further. -Lars

Middlesex #VT… neighbors getting busy

Posted on Monday, November 1, 2010 by Michael • 4 comments

Wow… Middlesex FPF is on fire! Over the first few months of Front Porch Forum being available to the good folks of this small central Vermont town, they have really put it to work. Already 300 members (out of 720 total households in town) have joined and posted 670 messages!

This is thanks, in part, to e-Vermont. Applications from other Vermont towns are welcome by Nov. 17, 2010.

But the people of Middlesex say it best. Here’s a video clip and a recent newspaper article… both worth a quick perusal.

Hard-pressed to communicate with constituents?

Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

“Helping neighbors connect”… that’s what Front Porch Forum is all about.

But, as is becoming increasingly obvious, FPF is used in other ways too. Local businesses, city employees, colleges and hospitals, charities and others use FPF every day to communicate with their communities.

Some local public officials enjoy wide access to FPF across many neighborhood forums. This can create a heavy load of neighborhood-level conversation for them to keep up with… but a surprisingly high number do just that. This just in from one State Rep…

FPF has made such a difference in creating a sense of neighborhoods. It does make more work and takes up more of our time, just like email actually, but its value way outweighs its demands, for me. I can’t tell you how many people during my door-knocking thanked me for my postings. Without FPF, I’d be hard-pressed to communicate with constituents. So, really, a BIG thanks to all of you.

Hinesburg Political Debate

Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2010 by Michael • 2 comments

What are the boundaries of discussion for an online forum? In each neighborhood/town Front Porch Forum, the members who participate decide what to talk about by the nature of what they post. With the Nov. 2 election, politics has moved front and center in many FPF neighborhoods recently. This pleases some folks and troubles other. Here’s a typical exchange… this time from Hinesburg this week…

We thought Front Porch Forum was designed to trade information with neighbors, not to serve as one more place for people to post political editorials. Len’s piece in today’s forum, while well written, was out of place. Statewide and local election coverage is available through a plethora of channels and we did not sign up for FPF to be lectured at or editorialized to. We signed up to learn what our neighbors needed, and to share what we needed. Is this what we can expect from FPF? It is bad enough that the candidates invade our homes with phone calls at all hours without regard to whether or not we want to hear what they have to say.

And a neighbor countered with…

I would contend that FPF is exactly the place for an open discussion about all issues facing our community including political ones. Why would a person read an editorial or a political post if it disturbs them? I would suggest averting your eyes until you can scroll down to the next post. I for one enjoy knowing different perspectives from my neighbors, including where the next garage sale will be and why certain politicians might be or might not be good for our town…

Good points all around. Regardless, experience shows that, a day or two after the election, FPF will return to neighborly postings about lost cats, babysitters, car break-ins, helping neighbors in need, etc.

More towns vying for e-Vermont resources

Posted on Thursday, October 28, 2010 by Michael • No comments yet

Ken Picard wrote a good piece about e-Vermont for Seven Days this week…

E-Vermont’s mission is to help rural schools, businesses and municipalities make the most of the new digital tools at their disposal. Funded largely through a $2.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the project is also supported by a coalition of local philanthropists, businesses and nonprofit organizations.

In May, 12 Vermont communities were selected from more than 40 that applied to receive technical and educational assistance in maximizing their broadband usage. Over the next few weeks, more towns across the state will line up to be considered for the next round of assistance.

They’ll be vying for 12 open spots that come with a variety of free services, including new computers for their elementary schools, training and consulting services for small businesses, web-design instruction for town governments and a host of other community-building tools.

“Community building”… that’s where Front Porch Forum comes in. We’re a proud e-Vermont partner. In fact, FPF is now available in 50 Vermont towns, thanks in part to e-Vermont. Anyone wanting FPF in their Vermont town should apply for the second round of e-Vermont awards by Nov. 17, 2010.

Over the last few months, e-Vermont convened a series of meetings in each e-Vermont town to create a list of town-specific priorities.

Many of the goals spelled out in the town plans use 21st-century technologies, such as email, Facebook, Nixle and Front Porch Forum, to reinforce old-fashioned Vermont values: connecting young people with elders; helping Vermonters stay in touch with friends and family out of state; finding new ways to increase civic participation; and helping Vermonters identify neighbors who live alone, are disabled or need someone to check on them periodically.

Another common theme that emerged from all the town plans is a desire to use the Internet to create a stronger local identity. For example, the 3600 residents of Pownal actually live in three separate villages — Pownal, Pownal Center and North Pownal — that are several miles apart.

One of Pownal’s goals is to use… Front Porch Forum to boost community cohesion and spark livelier dialogue among its residents. The framers of Pownal’s plan say this could be an especially useful tool as plans move forward to convert the former Green Mountain Race Track in Pownal into a renewable energy park.

#BTV #VT ‘s Mealtrain in Mothering Magazine!

Posted on Friday, October 22, 2010 by Michael • 1 comment

Congratulations to Burlington’s own mealTrain.com … featured in Mothering Magazine recently. This is a great service. Our family has used it successfully several times to support friends in need (new baby at home, etc.) or just as a pick-me-up from a group of friends to one happy recipient.

From their site…

Friends and family have always shown support and compassion after significant life events through the delivery of meals. However, this generosity has not been without challenges. Often the giving party is wondering, “When is the best time to start giving meals? Which nights are most helpful? What meals are most liked? What foods have already been shared? How many should I cook for? Is anyone in the home allergic to food types?” or “When is the family ready to start cooking on their own?”

mealTrain.com is a free solution that simplifies the organization of giving and receiving meals. By allowing the giving party to take into account the recipient’s preferred meal times, food preferences, and available days, the site helps ensure that the recipient gets the meals they enjoy on the days that are most helpful.

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