Social Media | Ghost of Midnight

Need Feedback? Ask 100 Neighbors

Posted on Wednesday, February 7, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Online “communities of interest” have long afforded people the chance to poll their colleagues about an issue or idea. I’m guessing a good portion of this has been limited to professionals talking to their peers, and highly involved amateurs chatting amongst themselves in their circles.

So it’s interesting that this past week we’ve seen lots of John and Jane Q. Public posting notes in their neighborhood forums looking for feedback and/or action from their neighbors. Some samples from Front Porch Forum:

1. A physical therapist in the Prospect Parkway Neighborhood Forum asked her neighbors for feedback on their experiences with PT. She edits a state PT newsletter and hopes to use the input there.

2. A local bakery runs an annual fundraiser whereby customers vote for a single charity out of a dozen or so candidates. The winner gets to be “baker for the day” working in the shop and taking home the proceeds. Last year’s winner (King Street Youth Center, I think) earned $3,000 for its neighborhood programs. This week, people all over town are plugging their favorite nonprofit on their neighborhood forums and urging their neighbors to go vote.

3. A food critic for a local paper opened a channel to the 100 or so neighbors on her forum, asking for story leads. She’s not the first reporter to tune into her neighborhood forum for tips, although she may be the first one to formally ask.

4. Elisa Nelson worked with a city official to place a brief survey on several Burlington neighborhood forums, gauging people’s sense of allowable new-house size in established neighborhoods, leading into the city’s zoning re-write (i.e., should we allow someone to build a house that is 25% larger than its neighbors? 100% bigger?). More than 5% of people completed and returned the survey.

5. A South End parent created an online petition about changing the start time at Burlington High School by ten minutes to better mesh with the public transit schedule. She posted a note in her neighborhood forum a day or two ago, and now it’s been posted by other people across 5-10 forums in town, reaching thousands of people.

I wonder what someone will think of next?

Neighbors doing it for Themselves

Posted on Monday, February 5, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Eight Burlington residents showed up on a chilly day late last week to distribute Front Porch Forum flyers door-to-door throughout the Old North End and hill section north of Pearl St. in Burlington, Vermont. A huge thanks to Rob, Dani, Craig, Erica, Devin, Melissa and Deb. Most are AmeriCorps volunteers. Deb lives in the area we covered and is a Realtor.

About 100 households in that area have subscribed in the few days since the flyering. If past experience is any indicator, we can expect this outreach effort to continue to bear fruit for weeks and even months. And thanks too to Vantage Press for cutting a deal on the flyers.

North End Armory sparks Access Debate

Posted on Saturday, February 3, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

The City of Burlington picked up the Gosse Ct armory cheap from the National Guard in 2005… but what to do with it? Local media has reported some of the discussion about what to do with the dilapidated building.

More ideas and debate have surfaced this week through Front Porch Forum. One member suggested a fitness center. A neighbor responded that we had plenty of opportunities for fitness. In defense of his original idea, Patrick Standen responded to his neighborhood forum:

With all due respect I think I am a pretty good judge as to what is accessible and not having spent 30 years in a wheelchair, served on federal, state and local access boards and functioned as an ADA consultant–that’s the Americans with Disabilities Act. Sadly, our YMCA does not provide “A fine fitness center… for all abilities” because it is completely wheelchair inaccessible. Having worked closely with the Y, accessibility is one of their top concerns, but their current building cannot accommodate visitors w/mobility impairments–it is an embarrassment to the Y. The only solution will be a new building.

As to the beaches and sidewalks, have you ever tried to access the lake from a wheelchair? Burlington lacks any wheelchair-friendly accommodation to the lake and the well-lit sidewalks may be lit but not very wheelchair friendly during the winter months.

I don’t mean to sermonize, but it is just this insensitive lack of awareness that keeps Vermonters with disabilities as second-class citizens without the same rights and opportunities as the larger population. While Burlington prides itself on being “progressive” and “liberal” it is in the dark ages concerning accessibility and disability rights.

Let’s keep the dialogue going…

As a father of a 1st grader who depends on his wheelchair to get around this city, I can only add… Amen Patrick.

Lost Pet Reunited and Community Benefits

Posted on Wednesday, January 31, 2007 by Michael • 1 comment

As C.G., a member of the Hinesburg Village Forum put it: “Another forum success story!!” First came:

Lost Cat? Issue No. 30 – Jan. 29
A very hungry orange & white cat is hanging around our house next to the old library. He/she seems healthy and well-cared-for, other than being cold and hungry. Is anyone missing a cat? I think he is sleeping in the big green barn next door.

Followed by this from S.S.:

Lost Cat Question Issue No. 31 – Jan. 30
Tuesday, January 30, 2007 – 7:12 am
Where is the old library? My next door neighbors have an orange and white cat they let out all the time…

And today’s conclusion by C.G.:

Another forum success story!! Issue No. 32 – Jan. 31
“Tiger,” the lost orange cat, was retrieved by his owner this morning!!! He had been missing for an entire month, poor thing.

BTW, the old library is now Clover Creek, an invitation and graphic design firm. It is located next to Grateful Dog Grooming, diagonally across from Lantmans.

So, not only was a pet quickly reunited with his family after C.G. took the initiative to post a note to her neighborhood forum, but S.S. learned a bit of local history about the old library… as did the other 60 households subscribed to this forum. Add this episode to many others about cars sold, school events announced, plumbers recommended, etc. and the net effect is… neighbors connecting and fostering community.

Members Spread the Word

Posted on Tuesday, January 30, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Front Porch Forum members continue to spread the word about this free community-building service. Some examples:

1. A group of neighbors and AmeriCorps Volunteers plan to deliver Front Porch Forum flyers door-to-door in Wards 1, 2 and 3 (old North End, downtown, etc.) this Thursday (Feb. 1, 2007). If you’d like to join this group of fun-loving community-spirited folks, meet them at Radio Bean coffee shop on North Winooski Ave. at Pearl St. at 11 AM. For details, contact Rob Filitor (rmfilitor_AT_gmail_DOT_com)… many hands make light work!

2. “I emailed an announcement about Front Porch Forum to my co-workers today. Several people have already written and said they’ve just joined and love it!” -D.W. in Hinesburg

3. “I spoke about Front Porch Forum to my local chapter of a women’s service organization yesterday. It was a surprise for me that this group of seniors was so interested in this service and I am sure some will sign up very soon.” -A.C. in Charlotte

4. “I think that you are providing a wonderful service. I don’t know very many neighbors at this point, so I am hoping this will open the door to new friendships. I will certainly encourage people who are not signed up to do so.” -J.E. in Colchester

Weekly Sampler: Broadband Options?

Posted on Monday, January 29, 2007 by Michael • 3 comments

Another 200 messages posted this past week in the various neighborhood forums hosted by Front Porch Forum in and around Burlington, VT. Here are descriptions of some of the postings. Seems that more and more people are posting a variant of “what’s the best broadband option here?” on their neighborhood forums. This is our second pass at this exercise… check out the first Weekly Sampler:

Seeking broadband advice from neighbors
Pick-up basketball in Westford
Public safety initiatives in Winooski
Waterfront air show – pros and cons
Seeking a particular issue of National Geographic (twice!)
Broadband options in Westford
Free tax-prep program
Why can’t we recycle more plastic types?
Essex town-village merger
Meeting announcements for Route 15 planning, Burlington zoning re-write, online safety training, waterfront planning, Burlington armory fate, senior center planning, and more
Baker-for-a-day fundraiser
Free garden plot in Lakeside neighborhood
Seeking Ottawa travel tips
Bolton condo available
Seeking, selling and giving away: washer, dryer, fridge, weights for seniors, couch, minivan, houses, hockey skates, router, monitor, cable modem, skis, etc.
Bike path test plowing
Tutors, babysitters and preschool slots available
Slowing down speeding traffic in neighborhood
Dog seeks walker
Neighborhood beach security
Neighborhood parent group forming
Ride needed to WRJ
Status of ice skating venues
Global climate change study groups forming
Keys found
Time bank launch
Car break-ins and hit and run
Local baker pitches wares
Art studio opening
Winter festival news
City news from Winooski
Five Spice fire
Police join more neighborhood forums
Neighborhood forum flyering plans
Old North End movie night
Neighborhood game night
And lots of cat postings: lost, found and sitters needed

Social Networkers getting Picky

Posted on Monday, January 29, 2007 by Michael • 1 comment

How many online social networks do you belong to? MySpace, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo Geocities, on and on. I can’t find the quote now, but someone wrote recently about a desktop littered with passwords from various social networking sites. For the heavy user of this stuff, the question becomes… which networks are worth it and which should I drop?

Richard Siklos has an interesting piece in the New York Times (fee) yesterday about this. After outlining some of the recent deals where big media companies are buying surging social networking sites (e.g., Sony bought Grouper.com, a video-sharing site, for $65M) as the established media buys its way into this new world, Siklos writes of the challenge of readers evolving from consumers to members:

Social networking… represents a way to live one’s life online. Know this: if you are part of the social networking wave, you will have all the “friends” you can handle. The invite is the new handshake. Get ready for a lot of opportunities to join all kinds of networks – and, one hopes, some appropriately Webby new way to politely say, “No, thank you.”

Front Porch Forum is part social networking. But it’s different than most. Instead of pulling people together around an issue, hobby, desire, etc., our neighborhood forums pull together… well, neighbors. Simple.

The Local Onliner reported recently about major changes at the Los Angeles Times:

The LA Times Online will roll out two new, ecommerce-oriented verticals in the midst of a ripping internal report that says the paper’s online strategy is nowhere near where it needs to be for the paper to have a future… The article also cites a new internal report finding that the online division only has 18 employees, compared to 200 employees at WashingtonPost.com and 50 at nytimes.com. The understaffing has lead to a poor quality website that, in part, accounts for users only staying 11.9 minutes on the site, compared to twice that long on nytimes.com.

The internal report goes on to cite a debilitating philosophical clash between GM Rob Barrett and Joel Sappell, and online executive editor Joel Sappell. Barrett wanted the site to focus on “hyper-local” reports to deliver SoCal readers information about their communities. Sappell argued for building “communities of affinity” rather than geography. [Sounds like the GM’s approach won out.]

So as social networks multiply and people start to get choosy, many, if not most, I think, would want to keep plugged into their neighborhood forum. They can swim in a near-endless ocean of “communities of interest,” but options for connecting with their neighbors online are scant.

Forums Reach Tipping Point

Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

I just finished reading Malcolm Gladwell’s Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. This is a national bestseller that’s been in circulation since 2000. From the back cover: “The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire,” like an epidemic.

I can draw many parallels to what we’re seeing with the growth of Front Porch Forum’s membership. It’s fascinating to watch as neighborhoods “tip,” one after another. A few dozen have passed the threshold already… now they have enough members and enough message traffic to sustain their neighborhood-wide conversation.

I also just read The Accidental Influentials in the latest Harvard Business Review about the work of Peter Dodds and Duncan J. Watts. They offer a different view of the mechanics of a social epidemic:

… Gladwell argues that “social epidemics” are driven in large part by the actions of a tiny minority of special individuals, often called influentials, who are unusually informed, persuasive, or well connected. The idea is intuitively compelling—we think we see it happening all the time—but it doesn’t explain how ideas actually spread.

The supposed importance of influentials derives from a plausible-sounding but largely untested theory called the “two-step flow of communication”: Information flows from the media to the influentials and from them to everyone else…

In recent work, however, [we] have found that influentials have far less impact on social epidemics than is generally supposed. In fact, they don’t seem to be required at all.

… marketing dollars might better be directed toward helping large numbers of ordinary people—possibly with Web-based social networking tools—to reach and influence others just like them.

I’m not sure which social theory best explains what we’re witnessing with the spread of Front Porch Forum. It’s not unlike a dry forest… lighting strikes one neighborhood and its forum bursts into a flame of activity. Other neighborhoods (parts of the forest) smolder for weeks or months before igniting a slow burn. Hmm… I’ll have to work on that comparison.

Neighbors Rein in Traffic

Posted on Thursday, January 25, 2007 by Michael • 1 comment

Too many cars and trucks driving too fast… that’s a problem that’s been plaguing residential areas since the Model T. But it’s getting worse. Americans own more cars per capita than ever before and we’re spending more time behind the wheel too… and if I had a couple minutes to spare I’d find some references to back up those claims.

And so a collective response by neighbors to rein in traffic must have started back in Henry Ford’s time too.

Now we’re seeing a new twist on it. Neighbors are using Front Porch Forum to talk about traffic problems and work on fixes. Some Burlington examples:

1. Residents along Home and Flynn Avenues bear a heavy load with truck traffic. They’ve posted dozens of messages on their neighborhood forum about this issue as it relates to the Southern Connector (both for and against, as well as some interesting middle-ground ideas). They also worked with one of their City Councilors to improve the signage regarding use of the ear-splitting jake brakes by trucks.

2. Birchcliff had a nightly speeder. One post on their neighborhood forum and the police stopped the offender that same night… problem solved.

3. Five Sisters residents were concerned about downhill traffic as it sped past South/Calahan Park on Locust St. Working with the Dept. of Public Works, traffic calming features were incorporated into the street.

4. Killarney Dr in the New North End… residents are concerned with teenager speeders exiting onto North Ave. A neighbor who is a police officer used the forum to encourage neighbors to identify the problem drivers and talk to their parents directly.

5. Lots of other neighborhoods have used their neighborhood forum to start conversations and eventually enter into DPW’s formal traffic calming process.

Concerned about traffic in your area? Post a note to your neighborhood forum and see if others feel the same way. Getting organized is a first step to finding a reasonable solution.

Weekly Sampler: Fire Victim Gratitude

Posted on Monday, January 22, 2007 by Michael • 2 comments

This past week saw about 200 messages posted in the various neighborhood forums hosted by Front Porch Forum in and around Burlington, VT. People often ask for a concise summary of what members submit to their neighborhood forum… I’ll share some of the topics from the past week. If this works, perhaps I’ll repeat in the weeks ahead. In no particular order:

Thank you to neighbors from fire victims in Essex
Wireless broadband in Westford
Seeking neighbor to sew on buttons in Burlington
Sugarshack open-door offer in Westford
Pick-up basketball game discussion
Senior center programs announced
Seeking bridge game, apartment, drum lessons, bike route, sled run, contractor
Sidewalk snowplowing in Essex
School Commissioner update in Burlington’s Ward 5
Many people seeking leads for home snow removal
Movie night at Euro Gourmet for Five Sisters neighborhood
NYC dog seeking new home in Vermont
Impeachment petition circulating in various towns
Free wine rack, car seat, and lots of other stuff
Snow parking ban announcements
Seeking off-street parking during bans
Housing regs discussion in the Old North End
For sale: snow shoes, yoga lessons, GIS services, singing Valentines
Lots of municipal news in Winooski… ice rink status, etc.
Waterfront airshow comments
Found: aqua blue fleece hat
Available: housekeeper, babysitter, real estate appraiser
Lots of new member introductions
And, a week can’t go by without… Lost cat!

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