Social Networking | Ghost of Midnight

“Neighborhoods Online” gets a Look by MediaPost

Posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Kathleen Burge writes in OMMA this week about several neighborhood-level online efforts. She includes FatDoor, BackFence, eNeighbors, MeetTheNeighbors, and Front Porch Forum. The conclusion… full of potential, but two big problems… (1) generating sufficient revenue, and (2) scaling and adjusting the formula that works in San Francisco so that it plays in Peoria. Worth a read.

Tire Slashing Victim Turns it Around with FPF

Posted on Thursday, October 11, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Carrie in Burlington’s Old North End felt as deflated as her car tires when she came outside the other day and discovered that all four had been slashed. Enter Front Porch Forum. She posted a note to her neighbors…

Most regretfully, I’m writing to let you know our tires were slashed on Saturday night while our car was in our driveway. It’s one if the more unpleasant ways to spend $200.

Not sure what you should do with this information…..I hate to inspire fear. My hope is it was a random act committed in a moment of severely compromised judgment. I feel a bit better sharing it with all of you, like instant empathy.

May your lives be peaceful!

Just the opposite of inspiring fear, her posting rallied people. She followed up today with…

thanks so much for setting up our forum. i received a bunch of very supportive and helpful e-mails in response to my message about our tires being slashed. thanks to the forum, we were connected with the parallel justice program which will pay for our new tires. good work!

For those of you keeping score at home… one bad experience poured through FPF results in… one problem solved (money for new tires), victim feeling supported by neighbors, neighbors on the lookout for vandalism, and the neighbors all feeling a little better for the experience… the sense of community a little stronger.

Most Trusted Source? The Envelope Please…

Posted on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Greg Sterling summarizes recent studies that ask about the most trust source of information…

Front Porch Forum deals with lots of word-of-mouth. I differentiate between word-of-mouth from anonymous strangers (most review sites) and word-of-mouth from a clearly identified person with whom you have a connection. With FPF, the recommendations come from clearly identified nearby neighbors.

And from the eMarketer Newsletter…

Local Online Growing, Growing, Growing

Posted on Monday, October 8, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Seems like the word is getting out about “local online.” Some recently reported developments…

Greg Sterling takes a look at “mommy sites”… lots of them popping up all over. Some of these are similar to Front Porch Forum… very local and talk about whatever (not just reviews or just classifieds).

Marketers and local businesses should consider some of these mom sites in their thinking about targeting local audiences and in terms of “online word of mouth.” While it’s considerably more challenging to market within online communities, a little time and attention to some of these sites could pay off in a meaningful way. Regardless of whether marketers pay attention to them, these mom networks are in fact driving lots of recommendations and business referrals all over the US. It’s very much an untold story in local.

Bill Day writes for Marchex a post titled “Building relevant and useful sites for neighborhoods.”

How do you cover a landscape as fragmented and targeted as the 42,000+ neighborhoods/ZIP codes that exist in the U.S.? And what needs to be done locally versus done centrally to ensure a solid consumer experience? As a company that owns ZIP Code Web sites covering most of the U.S., we are dealing directly with the challenges and opportunities that come with building highly relevant and useful local sites covering each of the ZIPs.

Hmm… a ZIP Code is interesting, but too crude of a cut. Just in my own experience I’ve lived in ZIPs that feel like home, others that feel disjointed and jerrymandered. And they change. Does that mean the “neighborhood” changes too? Perhaps a techie’s solution to a human challenge. Who knows?

The Local Onliner reports…

ReachLocal, a provider of local online marketing solutions for SMBs, has raised $55.2 million in new financing. This comes on top of the $12.7 million it has raised since its founding in 2004. The new funds give ReachLocal an estimated valuation of $305 million, since it was previously valued at $250 million.

That’s a lot of money. Reminds me of Big Tent… social networking for soccer moms. And Ning… DIY social networking. Both of which I believe have huge sums of investment.

Finally, Cameron Ferroni on the Marchex blog seems to agree with my assessment that the local online space is getting both broad and deep…

There is so much data out there that some set of consumers will love, and others will think is irrelevant. Deciding how to bring it all together and get consumers excited – now that is the challenge.

Different Type of Neighborhood Blog

Posted on Monday, October 8, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Richard in Toronto sent me the link to his neighborhood’s blog… interesting. He’s set up an entry for every house in the neighborhood and several have some flesh to the bones… photos and text.

This is more in the spirit of Front Porch Forum than the typical citizen journalist reporting on his/her view of the neighborhood. Trying to turn the ENTIRE neighborhood out for the conversation… not just a mostly one-way deal.

Neighbors Sound Off and Get Organized

Posted on Sunday, October 7, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Each week brings a new campaign to one or more Front Porch Forum neighborhoods. Here are some recent examples…

In Huntington, it’s speeders. About 20 members have written in to complain about speeding vehicles AND to brainstorm solutions… speed humps, stop signs, more police, warning signs, and, most interestingly, a vigilante photo effort culminating with a slide show of the worst offenders to be shown at Town Meeting Day.

Over in Westford, people are chiming in about the proposed school district unification. This, understandably, is an important issue for many people… kids, money, control.

And over in one South Burlington neighborhood, lots of folks weighed in about speeding teenagers. Now a letter has been drafted and circulated over the neighborhood forum a few times and it’s ready to go to the powers that be. Better than 10% of the neighborhood “signed” the letter with as simple posting to the forum.

Dog Story with Happy Ending

Posted on Sunday, October 7, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Mary writes to her neighbors this evening…

I would just like to pass along a little success story relating to the Front Porch Forum. On Sept 27th a notice was posted on the Westford Forum about a dog who needed a new home. Thanks to that posting, we now have a new addition to our family and “Toby” has a great big ole yard to run/bark around in. My special thanks goes out to Mark who posted the notice on the forum.

I was curious, so I checked the archive for Mark’s original posting…

Hi, A friend of a friend who lives in Boston has to find a new home for their dog. The dog, Toby, is a 2 year old Great Pyraneese ( a big white fluffy dog). The problem is that the dog just barks all day when they are gone, not a problem in most Vermont neighborhoods, but it is in most Boston neighborhoods. Let me know if you are interested. She is willing to make the drive for the right home. I can send the email with a picture. I’d take himself but I already have 3 dogs. Thanks.

Social Exclusion and the Internet

Posted on Sunday, October 7, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

Kevin Harris has an interesting posting this week about people who are socially excluded/isolated in life and how they carry on online. Does online social networking help bring the most excluded of people into community?

Family in Need turns to Neighbors

Posted on Friday, October 5, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

A mother displayed courage today in asking for help from her South Williston neighbors via Front Porch Forum. Her neighborhood forum is not very populated yet, so I’m not confident she’ll get the help needed. If you’re interested in getting this job done please contact me (use the Contact FPF form) and I’ll make the connection.

Dear Neighbors – We have recently purchased 35 panels of 6’x6′ vinyl fence (180′) to install in our back yard.

We purchased it to protect our 5 year old daughter from being hit by a car or getting lost and not finding her way back home. People drive 40 miles an hour or more… alongside our property.

Our 5 year old, has Down syndrome. She is delayed in speech and currently has no concept of danger and/or the damage that can occur if she does not stop, look, and listen when she gets to the edge of our yard or driveway. She is adventurous and likes to wander away from the yard to “visit” the neighbors. The problem is that she cannot give you her name, address or phone number, other than, “Hi. I Nana Joy. What your name?”

Several landscapers have told us that they are not available until November. We have had two people come to quote the job for us. Only one got back to us with a quote. We have tried unsuccessfully over the last two weeks to get in touch with him to install it. It is important that we get it installed before the ground freezes. The fence has been here for 3 weeks and is still not installed. As a mother, this is a source of frustration for me. I cannot leave [her] in the care of her 8 year old sister to help my husband install this fence or it would be installed already.

We are looking for help in installing it from a couple of people who have installed similar fencing. If any of you are available to help us or know of anyone who is available to do the job, please call us. We would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you and God bless.

Neighbors pitch in to find lost dog

Posted on Thursday, October 4, 2007 by Michael • Comments are off for this post

A happy ending from Jen in Hinesburg…

Due to the wonderful response from this community forum & the word-of-mouth of you all, today I got my dog back! Daisy Mae was gone for nearly three weeks when I got a call Monday night that someone had finally seen her! It’s been three days of trying to search that area & time it right of me being there when she was, but today around Noon, we were finally successful. I had really almost given up to be honest since she was gone so long, but I cannot tell you all how grateful I am for your watchful eyes & kindness. Daisy has lost a lot of weight in the past three weeks, but she is otherwise healthy & VERY glad to be home. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!

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