MediaVidea offers an interesting take on social networking sites today…
Recent research done in England suggests that the number of close friends you have is mostly a result of your face-to-face interactions in the real world.
Researchers at the Sheffield Hallam University say that your online friendships on social networking sites such as Orkut, Facebook, Myspace, Hi5 and others are ‘shallow’ in nature.
Researchers got more than 200 people to fill in questionnaires and found that most of respondents had around 5 close friends and many (90%) said their close friends were results of face-to-face meetings.
So, it seems that soliciting and clicking friend request on social sites is nothing but an ego trip.
He also writes about the difference between online tools, networks and communities.
There has a been a lot of debate online about communities and networks and many, including startups riding the web 2.0 wave have run into the habit of claiming that their startup is a community. VCs are also prone to this community fever.
So, it is important to note what Joshua Schachter of del.icio.us said about the pioneering social bookmarking site, a site that I think has more value than social news sites such as Digg, for great archival and research uses.
Joshua has said, Del.icio.us is a tool, not a community.’
This is very important. Most online services are first tools and the community of people who got together while using the service, comes later on.
Joshua Porter of Bokardo advocates a focus on ‘personal value over anything else’.
Differencing between communities and networks, Chloe Stromberg from Forrester Research says that ‘while communities are bound by emotion and passion, networks are simply communication links between people who have something in common.’
Interesting to mull over. I think Front Porch Forum is used as a tool by some (receive and spread information), a network for others (e.g., need 20 people to sign a petition to get a stop sign installed), and a community of neighbors for most. Many report that their FPF neighborhood forum has helped created a neighborhood environment where they can more easily establish and maintain genuine friendships.
Did you know that September 16, 2007 is National Neighborhood Day? I had an interesting discussion with the founder of this effort the other day, Lorne Adrain.
MISSION
National Neighborhood Day inspires, builds, and sustains the neighborhood relationships that provide the foundation for civic action and the building of stronger, more caring and effective communities.VISION
National Neighborhood Day was established as an annual day to recognize and reinforce the relationships that are the fabric of our communities. It is a day of simple gatherings of neighbors to re-kindle friendships; welcome new neighbors; catch up on each others’ families, interests and needs; and share food, fellowship and fun.The ties that unite a neighborhood help us better tackle and enjoy the myriad of challenges and opportunities we face. The simple goal of National Neighborhood Day is to bring neighbors together and to help enhance neighborhood connections. Neighbors knowing neighbors improves neighborhood connections; connected neighborhoods lead to more effective communities; effective communities strengthen our nation as a whole. This ripple effect from our own neighborhoods to the larger world outside is what Neighborhood Day promotes.
So do something to celebrate and enhance your neighborhood on September 16. If you live in our service area, use Front Porch Forum to organize things.
I’ll be leading a session called Jumpstart your Neighborhood as part of the annual HealthSource Community Education Series organized by Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont.
Wednesday, September 19, 7 – 8 p.m.
Jumpstart Your Neighborhood
Michael Wood-Lewis
Co-Founder Front Porch Forum
Common sense and a growing body of research tell us that well-connected neighborhoods are friendlier places to live, with less crime, healthier residents, higher property values, and better service from local government and utilities. Front Porch Forum, a new online service, is helping people in Chittenden County build community at the neighborhood level. Learn the secrets of successful neighborhoods and jumpstart your neighborhood forum into gear. Plenty of time for questions.
This series is free and intended for the general public. Pre-registration is required… call 802-847-2278 (location within Chittenden County, Vermont, and directions provided when you call).
Also, I’ll be leading a workshop (Virtual Neighborhood: Building Local Community Online) at Orton Family Foundation’s CommunityMatters07 conference on Burlington’s waterfront Oct. 23. I just heard that people are registering now, so it looks like it should be a good turnout for this national event.
I’m looking forward to both sessions and encourage those with valuable experience, basic and advanced questions, and good ideas to come and share.
Hard to believe that Front Porch Forum was launched one year ago this month! The response to this local start-up (focused on its initial pilot area of greater Burlington, VT) has been wonderful and overwhelming. What a privilege to work on this effort with the likes of…
Moving forward, our goals are simple and challenging…
So thanks to each FPF member! And please post messages to your neighborhood forum and encourage those around you to sign up at FrontPorchForum.com Here comes autumn! -Michael and Valerie
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